Flowering Chinese Cabbage

Flowering Chinese Cabbage

　　　A traditional specialty of Changzhou—flowering Chinese cabbage. Because its leaves resemble coins and the plant is lush and vibrant green, it is commonly called “coin vegetable.” This name carries wishes for smoothness in all seasons and good fortune. In the old days, the head chef of the vegetarian kitchen at Tianning Temple made it his mission to ensure that people could enjoy this “coin vegetable” even during the intense heat of summer. He studied diligently and turned the “coin vegetable” into one of his signature dishes. He and the vegetable farmers from Taoyuan Village (now the area of Taoyuan New Village), just across the river, had an unspoken “gentlemen’s agreement”—every year in the cold winter months, they would supply the temple with several thousand pounds of flowering Chinese cabbage. The temple cooks would wash and dry the cabbage, then store it in large containers filled more than halfway with soybean oil to prevent the cabbage from being exposed to air. When the next year’s dog days arrived, the preserved cabbage was taken out and served as a rare delicacy to temple worshippers, donors, or guests enjoying a vegetarian meal. During the “summer vegetable shortage” season, when leafy greens were scarce under the blazing summer sun, being able to enjoy “coin vegetable” brought to mind the snowy winter landscape, instantly creating a refreshing sensation and adding extra enjoyment to the meal.