Previously, my mother told me the origin of the name "Sunflower". Because its petals always rotate with the sun, whenever the sun rises, it will raise its "head" towards the sun, and whenever the sun sets, it will lower its "head" again. Therefore it is called "Sunflower". Whenever spring comes, people will plant it excitedly.
It has a stem about as thick as a corn stalk, and the stem is covered with thick thorns. If you touch it, it will be very painful.
Its leaves are peach-shaped. Its largest leaves are as big as a banana fan. Its smallest leaves are only as big as my palm, and the leaves get smaller and smaller as you go up, which is interesting!
Its flower is as big as a large disc. There are brown stamens in the middle of the oval and yellow petals. In summer, those stamens fall off, revealing the sweet fruit, which is melon seeds.
The melon seeds that have just come out are a little sweet and a little raw. When the melon seeds are ripe, they are crowded together. The largest melon seeds are on the edge, the smallest ones are in the middle, and the small ones have only skins and no fruits.
Melon seeds are also called Mao Cai, and there are many ways to make them. It can be made into spiced melon seeds, creamy melon seeds, salty melon seeds, light melon seeds... There are also many ways to eat it. Melon seeds are indispensable during the Chinese New Year, melon seeds are indispensable when watching TV, and melon seeds are indispensable when eating in restaurants before serving food.
Unexpectedly, when the sunflowers are ripe, the fruits become treasures!