Chelan

Chelan

　　In Xunyi, there is a common vegetable known in the local dialect as chelan. At first glance, you might not know what it is or how to eat it. In fact, its scientific name is Brassica oleracea var. caulorapa, a type of cabbage. It is a vegetable that falls between turnip and cabbage, with smooth and tender leaves, and a stem that swells into a spherical shape with distinct leaf scars. It is cultivated in both spring and autumn.

　　Chelan is truly a great vegetable. Its vitamin C content is extremely high — one cup of cooked chelan provides 1.5 times the “daily recommended intake.” It also contains large amounts of potassium, and its vitamin E content exceeds 10% of the daily recommended intake.

　　Chelan has a sweet taste and a cool nature. It helps eliminate water retention and reduce swelling, soothe coughs and expel phlegm, refresh the mind and improve vision, relieve intoxication and reduce internal heat, as well as detoxify. Chelan can be eaten cold in salads, stir-fried plainly, or pickled.

　　Information source: Xunyi County Cultural Relics and Tourism Bureau