It is often mistaken for radish. It has been cultivated for more than 200 years and has become a famous dish exported from China. Radish is a very common vegetable in our daily life with high nutritional value, but few people like its flavor. The main reason is that it has a strange flavor if it is not seasoned well. However, there is a vegetable that looks similar to radish but does not taste like radish. When I first saw it, I thought it was a grafted version of radish. Later, after inquiring about it, I realized that its name is panchayote and its scientific name is ? turnip?

Contrasting from the appearance, the leaves of the dishwort are not different from those of the turnip. Its roots are also very similar to turnips. For those who don't know much about it, it's normal to think of it as a turnip, but it's slightly flatter than a turnip's root, like a plate, so most people refer to it as panchayote. However, as far as flavor is concerned, this dish doesn't have the weird taste of a radish. On the contrary, it tastes juicy and sweet, and tastes better raw than some fruits. When steamed, it is transparent and smells so good that my mouth is watering

The juicy nature of panchayote dictates that it can't be grown in northern China, whereas the soil and moisture conditions in the region of southern China's Zhejiang province are the best for panchayote cultivation. After being buried in the soil and frost, it can be used to its best advantage, and in terms of size and color, panchayote grown here is the best, yielding about 3,500 kilograms per acre.

Besides in southern Zhejiang, panchayote is also recorded as being grown elsewhere in the south, but the diet is not quite the same. In the south, it is used for pickling, which is much more complicated than radish, and the method of pickling the panchayote is very elaborate.

Regardless of the method, it's shocking just to consider the flavorings required for pickling. Peppercorns, sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and salt are all essential seasonings, but the flavor becomes unauthentic without any of these. When it's done, it tastes like Sichuan kimchi and is very down-home.

What many people don't realize is that panchayote has been grown in China for more than 200 years. Zhang Qian brought them back when he traveled to the Western regions, and though they are said to be an import, they have been grown and improved over the years to become an authentic Chinese dish. Han Yu, a Tang Dynasty writer, also wrote a poem in praise of pan-fried vegetables. Indicating the dish's popularity.

After these years of development, this dish has now become a famous Chinese export dish. Foreigners especially like the crisp sweet flavor of this dish. This may have a lot to do with their fondness for sweets. Besides, this dish can be eaten raw. It is really convenient for foreigners who don't have high cooking skills, but it is unlikely that they make it into kimchi for dinner.