There are many kinds of Chinese cabbage, which are widely planted in various places and have various names, but the main characteristics are similar, that is, tender, crisp, white as milk, easy to plant and resistant to storage, so it has been planted in both north and south of China and has been spread to many places in the world.
Cabbage is just a nickname. In ancient times, its name was fermented grains. According to the Southern Song Dynasty's "Six Books Old", it says: "Fermented grains, rest, bow and cut, and winter dishes. Its stems and leaves are white, so it is called cabbage. "
Cabbage belongs to Cruciferae, which was collected and eaten by human beings in ancient times, and then planted. In the Neolithic cultural site of Central Plains about 7000 years ago, the seeds of cabbage hidden in jars were unearthed, which shows that cabbage was planted very early in China.
With the development of the times, human beings began to cultivate crops, and Chinese cabbage came into being. Chinese cabbage has a long history of cultivation in the north.
Every winter, it is freezing in the north, and almost no vegetables can survive. However, Chinese cabbage, which is "not withered in winter, but lasts for four years" and can be stored for a long time, has become the main vegetable. Moreover, a Chinese cabbage in the north weighs more than ten kilograms. After being cut, it is white and tender, and whatever you do, it is known as the king of vegetables.
In Qi Min Yao Shu written by Jia Sixie in the Northern Wei Dynasty, there is a chapter that specifically summarizes the vegetable production technology, and it mentions the technology of planting fermented grains: "The fermented grains are like turnips (Wú j Ι ng), which are hairless and big."
The delicious shepherd's purse actually became a national gift. When the envoys of the Southern Liang Dynasty came to Luoyang, Xuan Wudi of the Northern Wei Dynasty gave them a boat of shepherd's purse to take to Nanliang for the royal family to taste. After tasting shepherd's purse, Prince Xiao Tong specially wrote two thank-you words, Xie Yi's Henan Cuisine and Xie Yi's Da Yi Qi, praising shepherd's purse as "Zhou Yuan's harmonious taste makes you feel ashamed".
By the Tang Dynasty, the shepherd's purse had spread to the people. How could the ancients' eating genes be worse than today's? As soon as the ingredients came, the dishes followed. For example, Meng Chang wrote in "Herbal Medicine for Dietotherapy": "Shepherd's purse cures thirst and mutton is very beautiful. It is cooked in the winter and the moon, and it can be eaten as a soup, which can eliminate the food and treat the cough. "
There are also direct medicines, such as the prescription cave in Longmen Grottoes, where there is a single prescription for treating shepherd's purse.
With the passage of time, there are more and more ways to eat Chinese cabbage, such as roasted Chinese cabbage with chestnuts, Kaiyang Chinese cabbage and so on. Of course, the most popular dishes are home-cooked dishes, such as stewed vermicelli, stewed pork slices, stir-fried Chinese cabbage, spicy Chinese cabbage, jiaozi with Chinese cabbage meat and pickled Chinese cabbage.
Cabbage is available all year round, and it tastes even more delicious after being frosted. However, the output of vegetables in winter is too small to meet the demand. In the past, people used to store cabbage in autumn for winter, but now with the development of science and technology, all kinds of anti-season vegetables are listed in winter, and storing Chinese cabbage has become history.