Ding Huatang Chinese Cabbage

Ding Huatang Chinese Cabbage

　　【Ding Huatang Chinese Cabbage】 Produced in Dingtang and Huatang Second Village of Dongping County, hence the name Ding Huatang Chinese Cabbage. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty was on his southern tour and passed through

　　Dongping, he caught a slight cold, lost his appetite, and especially disliked greasy food. Upon hearing this, the local magistrate ordered the chef to prepare a “Jade Pearl Soup” using Ding Huatang Chinese Cabbage and shrimp, along with premium seasonings

　　which was then served to the emperor. Emperor Qianlong found his appetite returning after eating it, drank several bowls in a row, and highly praised it. He then ordered the imperial chefs to take several heads of the cabbage back with them.

　　 Dingtang and Huatang Second Village are located downstream of the Qinghe River, where the soil is fertile, with a balanced mix of sand and clay, and rich in humus. The cabbages produced here are large in size, small at the root, thin-skinned, with fine and sparse fibers, quick to cook, and especially known for producing a rich broth once cooked.

　　thin, with fine and sparse fibers, quick to cook, and especially known for producing a rich broth once cooked.

　　 In the old days, during banquets of all levels—upper, middle, and lower—in Dongping, whenever it was the season for Chinese cabbage, it was used as an accompanying dish. Every kind of banquet would feature this dish, served alongside delicacies from mountains and seas. By the late Qing Dynasty, Ding Huatang Chinese Cabbage was transported by river to the provincial capital, Jinan. Some large restaurants even featured a signature dish called “Ding Huatang Creamy Chinese Cabbage,” priced the same as meat dishes, yet still deeply loved by diners.

　　to the provincial capital, Jinan. Some large restaurants even featured a signature dish called “Ding Huatang Creamy Chinese Cabbage,” priced the same as meat dishes, yet still deeply loved by diners.

　　deeply loved by diners. To this day, every household in Dingtang and Huatang villages grows Chinese cabbage, yielding over ten thousand pounds per mu.