The ancient poem "Pluck the snow and pick it up to step on the ground, the taste is like honey lotus root, which is fatter and richer" describes cabbage in winter.

This is a poem praising winter vegetables in "Pastoral Miscellaneous" written by Fan Chengda of the Song Dynasty. The poem reveals the cabbage that people can still plant with determination in freezing weather, and describes their sweetness and sourness as honeyed lotus roots. But it's more delicious than honey lotus root. When I think of cabbage, I think of the great painter Qi Baishi. Qi Baishi liked painting cabbage very much throughout his life, and often included it in his paintings for its fatness, tender whiteness and emerald green.

The cabbages in his paintings are fresh and juicy, full of vitality, and look plump and strong. He has many famous paintings of cabbages, such as loquat cabbage, cabbage insects, cabbage peppers, etc., which are full of fun. Among them, he wrote on a painting of cabbage and pepper: Peony is the king of flowers, lychee is the first fruit, and cabbage is the king of vegetables, so why not. Mr. Qi complained about the cabbage, and his words were full of love for the cabbage.

People’s Dish

A painter wanted to imitate Qi Baishi in painting cabbage, but he couldn’t draw it like it. Finally, he couldn’t help it anymore, so he asked Qi Baishi how to paint cabbage. What a trick. Qi Baishi laughed loudly after hearing this: You don't have a trace of vegetable shoots in your body, how can you draw like me? Qi Baishi was born in a farm family and is familiar with cabbage.

In Qi Baishi's eyes, if a person has no "vegetable bamboo shoots spirit" in his body, he certainly cannot draw cabbage like him. He also made a painting "Vegetable Bamboo Shoots" with the theme of cabbage, bamboo shoots, etc. Cabbage is simple and lovely throughout its life, with a strong flavor of fireworks. It has entered the homes of ordinary people and has become a frequent guest in home-cooked recipes. It is often eaten. Therefore, people regard cabbage as "the food of the common people".