Jiangmen Chinese Cabbage

Jiangmen Chinese Cabbage

　　Baisha Chinese Cabbage

　　Baisha Township, situated in the western suburbs of Jiangmen City, has excellent soil and many springs and hollows. Most local farmers grow melons and vegetables. They have continuously improved their methods in seed selection, breeding, management, harvesting, and production, eventually cultivating a distinctive variety of Chinese cabbage. This locally grown cabbage is referred to by its regional name, “Baisha Chinese Cabbage.” Baisha Chinese Cabbage was once as famous as Mr. Chen Baisha, but nowadays, Baisha Chinese Cabbage has completely disappeared.

　　Baisha Chinese Cabbage plants are short and sprawling, with tender green leaves and white, spoon-shaped petioles—hence the nickname “Spoon White.” The taste of Baisha Chinese Cabbage is exceptional: thick flesh, minimal fiber, smooth texture without any grit, fragrant, sweet, and tender. It was widely renowned across the province, Hong Kong, and Macau in the 1980s.

　　At that time, Baisha Chinese Cabbage was planted and harvested in large quantities. What to do when there was more than could be sold or eaten? Local farmers sun-dried the fresh cabbage into cabbage greens to aid preservation. These dried cabbages were mainly used for making soup. When cooking, ingredients such as fish, meat, or pork bones were added to the broth, enhancing the flavor and making it even sweeter and tastier. Drinking a bowl of Baisha Chinese Cabbage soup during the hot summer months of July and August had the special effect of clearing heat and reducing internal fire.

　　According to local elders, the best Baisha Chinese Cabbage used to come from Shijing near Longmu Temple in Baisha Township. The spring water at Shijing is mountain spring water, cool and fresh all year round. The Baisha Chinese Cabbage irrigated with this spring water was naturally extraordinary. Later, Longmu Temple in Baisha no longer existed, but Baisha Chinese Cabbage continued to be cultivated for quite some time.

　　Records indicate that during the Cultural Revolution, Baisha Chinese Cabbage nearly went extinct. After the reform and opening up, farmers in Baisha Township began cultivating improved varieties and reviving the production of Baisha Chinese Cabbage to supply local residents as well as people in Hong Kong and Macau.

　　In the 1990s, as Baisha became the core urban area of Jiangmen, the process of urbanization and redevelopment accelerated. Vegetable fields were replaced by high-rises, and rural areas transformed into cities. Eventually, Baisha Chinese Cabbage faded into extinction.