Huazhou Chinese Cabbage

Huazhou Chinese Cabbage

　　In Guanzhong’s Hua County, anciently known as Huazhou, the locally grown Chinese cabbage surpasses that of other regions. The heads are large, crisp, and tender, round in shape with tightly packed, snow-white curds free from discoloration. The texture is soft and the flavor fresh, sweet, and lightly fragrant, with fine fibers and no coarse strands—chewy yet free of residue, and highly resistant to storage. Huazhou Chinese cabbage is of excellent quality and rich in nutrition. Besides being cooked, it also offers a unique taste when served raw in salads, making it one of the province’s premium cabbages. Renowned as a famous product of Shaanxi, it has long enjoyed a prestigious reputation. In addition to local consumption, it is also widely sold to neighboring provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. It has become an indispensable vegetable variety during autumn and winter in these areas.

　　 　　Huazhou Chinese cabbage is an outstanding variety meticulously cultivated over time by the hardworking people of Hua County. Varieties such as “Hua County Er Bao Tou” and “Huazhou Er Ben Cabbage” are well-known local superior strains. This variety is famed for its beautiful shape and superior quality. During the Qing Dynasty, it was listed as a “tribute,” transported all the way to the capital. Legend has it that Empress Dowager Cixi, who fled to Xi’an during the “Gengzi Incident,” had “Golden-Edged Cabbage” as one of the dozens of dishes served at every meal. This dish primarily used “Huazhou Chinese cabbage,” which speaks volumes about its exceptional flavor. The excellence of Huazhou cabbage, along with its widespread fame, is also due to the superb culinary skills of local chefs. Xue Baochen, a Hanlin academician and reader-in-waiting in the late Qing Dynasty, wrote in his “Sketches on Vegetarian Diet”: “When it comes to cooking golden-edged cabbage, the chefs of Xi’an have the finest technique, surpassing even those of the capital.”

　　 　　Chinese cabbage, also known as headed cabbage, yellow leaf white, or curled cabbage, gets its name from its large size and the white color of its inner leaves. In ancient times, it was called “song,” a term that appeared as early as the Han Dynasty. According to the “Pi Ya” by Lu Dian of the Song Dynasty: “Song does not wither in winter and can be seen throughout the four seasons. It shares the character of pine, hence its character is an associative compound, and it is considered frost-resistant in herbal medicine.” The famous Ming Dynasty physician Li Shizhen said: “Song does not wither late in winter and can be seen throughout the four seasons. It shares the character of pine, hence it is called song. Nowadays, the common term for this vegetable is Chinese cabbage, which is pale white in color.” It turns out that Chinese cabbage shares a similar resilience with the pine tree, so people added a grass radical to the character “song” to name it. This is quite poetic.

　　 　　Chinese cabbage belongs to the Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) family, genus Brassica. It is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant native to China. A pottery jar unearthed from the Neolithic site of Banpo in Xi’an, China, contained cabbage seeds. This indicates that Chinese cabbage has been cultivated in China for over 6,000 years. Its utilization history may even predate that of other staple crops.

　　 　　Huazhou Chinese cabbage is rich in nutrition and delicious in taste. It is high in protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins A and C, as well as minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. Modern scientific analysis shows that every 100 grams of Chinese cabbage contains 140 mg of calcium, 26 mg of phosphorus, 346 mg of potassium, and 1.28 mg of carotene. These nutrients are essential for human health. It also contains relatively high amounts of the anti-cancer trace element molybdenum and easily digestible crude fiber. A single Chinese cabbage weighing 2.5–3 kg provides about the same amount of energy as 0.25 kg of eggs or 0.5 kg of milk. No wonder poets and scholars throughout the ages have sung its praises. The Song Dynasty poet Fan Chengda wrote in “Rural Pleasures”: “Pulled from the snow, the earth-bound song tastes like honeyed lotus, richer and more succulent. The feasts of the rich lack flavor, while it is served as a simple, everyday dish.” Su Dongpo also penned: “White song resembles lamb and suckling pig, emerging from the soil like bear’s paw.” Comparing Chinese cabbage to lamb and bear’s paw is no exaggeration. There is also a folk saying: “Chinese cabbage in winter is better than mutton” and “No vegetable surpasses Chinese cabbage.” This shows how much people love this vegetable.

　　 　　Medically, Chinese cabbage has a wide range of uses. The earliest record can be found in “Collected Annotations on Materia Medica” by Tao Hongjing of the Later Liang Dynasty, which states that it “regulates the intestines and stomach, relieves chest discomfort, and quenches alcohol thirst.” Li Shizhen’s “Compendium of Materia Medica” in the Ming Dynasty noted that it is “sweet, warm, and non-toxic, regulates the intestines and stomach, and relieves chest stuffiness.” The Qing Dynasty’s “Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica” also said it is “sweet, warm, and non-toxic, benefits the intestines and stomach, relieves chest discomfort, quenches alcohol thirst, aids urination and defecation, harmonizes the middle, calms coughs, and winter juice is especially good.” Modern research has found that it can help prevent colon cancer. There are many folk remedies using Chinese cabbage to treat common ailments. For example, boiling cabbage roots with scallions and ginger can treat colds; mashing Chinese cabbage and applying it to affected areas can treat allergic dermatitis; boiling cabbage and chili in water to wash the feet can treat chilblains; and eating more cabbage can relieve constipation. Hence the folk saying: “Fish creates internal heat, meat produces phlegm, but cabbage and tofu keep you safe.”

　　 　　Chinese cabbage is available year-round, suitable for both meat and vegetarian dishes, adaptable, and can be grown in both southern and northern regions. It is a staple vegetable beloved by the Chinese people. It can be stir-fried, braised, sautéed, deep-fried, stewed, simmered, simmered slowly, pickled, soaked, marinated, or served raw in salads—the saying goes: “Cabbage can be made into a hundred different dishes.” It can be a daily household dish or elevated to fine cuisine served at state banquets, showcasing national customs and culture. With so many virtues, it’s no wonder Qi Baishi, when painting cabbage, chose it as the “king of vegetables.”

　　 　　Hua County is located in the southeastern part of the Guanzhong Basin in Shaanxi, characterized by a warm temperate continental monsoon climate. The annual average temperature is 13.4°C, with an effective accumulated temperature above 0°C of 4,860°C, a frost-free period of 207 days, an annual precipitation of 580 mm, and 2,220 hours of annual sunshine. The Wei River plain area of the county features flat terrain, fertile soil, and convenient irrigation. The local vegetable farmers have extensive experience in cultivation and have historically grown cabbage on a large scale. With over a thousand years of cultivation history, the region is a renowned producer of high-quality Chinese cabbage in Shaanxi.