Yazhou White Flower Vegetable

Yazhou White Flower Vegetable

　　Yazhou White Flower Vegetable is different from the commonly known White Flower Vegetable. The commonly known one originates from the Americas and belongs to the Capparaceae family. Yazhou White Flower Vegetable, however, is a wild vegetable that has not yet been officially classified. According to the *Yazhou Annals* from the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty: “The White Flower Vegetable has purple stems and grows in uncultivated gardens. Its flowers are white, fragrant, and suitable for pickling in sour brine. Yang Guifei praised it after Gao Lishi presented it to her. Since then, it became famous.”

　　Although the American White Flower Vegetable and Yazhou White Flower Vegetable share the same name, they differ in many ways:

　　They belong to different classifications. The American White Flower Vegetable is an ornamental and medicinal flower, while Yazhou White Flower Vegetable is a wild or semi-wild vegetable.

　　They have different flowering periods and colors. The American White Flower Vegetable blooms in summer, with white or slightly reddish flowers, while Yazhou White Flower Vegetable blooms in spring, bearing pure white flowers.

　　Their fruiting differs. The American White Flower Vegetable produces cylindrical seed pods, whereas Yazhou White Flower Vegetable only blooms and does not bear fruit; instead, it produces seeds at maturity to propagate the next generation.

　　They have different growth cycles. The American White Flower Vegetable is an annual herb, while Yazhou White Flower Vegetable is seasonal, sprouting in spring and harvested in summer.

　　They serve different purposes. The American White Flower Vegetable is used for medicine and ornamental purposes, while Yazhou White Flower Vegetable is best pickled in sour brine.

　　They also differ in domestication. The American White Flower Vegetable has been cultivated for a long time, whereas Yazhou White Flower Vegetable remains wild, growing and dying naturally.

　　It is worth mentioning the pickled Yazhou White Flower Vegetable. The reason Yazhou White Flower Vegetable is precious is not because of the beauty of its flowers, but because of the unique and richly aromatic flavor it develops after pickling—ranking among the finest of all pickled vegetables. In the past, it was even offered as a tribute to the imperial court and gained the admiration of Yang Guifei.

　　The method for gathering and pickling Yazhou White Flower Vegetable is as follows: Within one to two months after the first summer rain, tender Yazhou White Flower Vegetable plants about 30 centimeters tall grow in slopes and uncultivated gardens. These young plants can be collected. After harvesting, the plants can be air-dried for a day or two or sun-dried for half a day, then chopped into pieces about one centimeter in length and pickled with raw salt. After pickling, they are placed in sealed earthenware jars to ferment for one or two days. Then, the jar lids are removed and an appropriate amount of rice broth (just enough to cover the top of the vegetables) is poured in, before sealing again. After about a week, the pickled vegetable is ready to eat.

　　The pickled White Flower Vegetable boasts a mellow fragrance and a well-balanced sweet-sour taste, leaving a lingering aroma in the mouth. Commonly used as a condiment for sour noodles in folk cuisine, it is also cooked with fresh fish by wealthier households, resulting in an exceptionally delicious dish.