Pyongyang, March 17 (KCNA) -- From olden times, the Korean people have gathered many edible herbs in mountains and fields in spring to process them in various ways to stimulate their appetite.

Among them is shepherd's purse with rich protein, inorganic matters and vitamins.

In early spring, the Korean people have dug up shepherd's purse and then boiled soup with it or seasoned it with spices after parboiling it.

According to a book dating back to the period of the feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910), the shepherd's purse soup was one of the most popular spring dishes.

Ri Kyu Bo, a famous poet of Koryo period (918-1392), wrote a poem on delicious shepherd's purse soup.

The shepherd's purse soup, boiled with rice-washed water and peppered bean mash and shellfish, has a good taste and peculiar smell. It is good to restore energy in early spring when people feel languid and lose their appetite.

The shepherd's purse dish, seasoned with peppered bean mash and spices, is also popular among people.

The dishes made of shepherd's purse, efficacious for hypertention and arteriosclerosis, have been widely used in the diet of the people until now. -0-