Abstract: Folate is necessary for almost all organisms, and is especially essential for human health due to its functionality as cofactor in carbon metabolism. In this review, the research progress of the type and structure of folate in plant-based food, the biosynthesis route and related enzymes, metabolic regulation, germination enrichment technique, extraction and detection techniques of folate were summarized. Furthermore, the rapid and accurate method for the folate determination and the enrichment and extraction of folate in plant food were also prospected.