Why does Xiaoxue "shovel cabbage"?

There are many proverbs in Xiaoxue solar terms, such as "snow shovel cabbage, snow shovel spinach". I don't know if you are as curious as I am. Why does Xiaoxue shovel cabbage? Is it just because this time is the season of cabbage harvest? I think we can learn more.

Chinese cabbage, a kind of vegetable that we are very familiar with, actually has a long planting history. As early as the Neolithic Age, white rapeseed was found in the ruins of the original village in Anbanpo, Xi 'an. However, it was not called "cabbage" at that time, but "fermented grains". After a long period of development, in the Tang Dynasty, Chinese cabbage began to be widely planted and became a delicious dish.

While we praise the delicious cabbage, in fact, the ancients have long had poems to describe it. For example, Han Yu has "finely cut the fat beef belly, and the new bamboo shoots taste the tender horseshoe at first"; Don Yan Qian said in Moving Sand: "Try to be humble, ask for taste, and laugh at Zhouyi." Zhou zai even said, "I'm afraid I'm in a hurry to get on the road and I can't stay and taste it later." It's a pity not to eat Chinese cabbage in late autumn.

In fact, I always wondered why fermented grains were called Chinese cabbage, until I read Compendium of Materia Medica by Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty: "According to Lu Dian's Ya, fermented grains wither at the end of winter, and are common in all seasons, so it was named. This is called cabbage, and its color is also shown. " I realized that it had something to do with its appearance.

Having said that, why does Xiaoxue shovel cabbage? In fact, it can be summarized as three points.

First, after entering the light snow, the cabbage has reached the harvest period. At this time, we are going to prepare for the winter, so we often hear "light snow gathers onions, otherwise it will be empty." Radish and cabbage were collected in the cellar.

When the crops are harvested, they will naturally be harvested. This is a natural behavior. Keep Chinese cabbage well, and only eat fresh Chinese cabbage in winter.

Second, the cabbage tastes so good that it needs to be shoveled. If the vegetables are ripe, there are actually many dishes at this time, such as potatoes and onions, which can be kept. Why do you want to save only Chinese cabbage? Just because it tastes so good.

Folks have been saying that "a hundred dishes are not as good as Chinese cabbage", "Chinese cabbage is as beautiful as winter bamboo shoots", and "Herbs for Dietotherapy" records that "shepherd's purse quenches thirst and goes well with mutton. Cooking it in winter can be eaten as soup, which can help digestion and stop coughing. " Gourmet Su Shi said in a poem: "White fermented grains are like lambs and porpoises, which are webbed and unearthed."

Comparing cheap Chinese cabbage with mutton bear's paw, we can see that it tastes delicious. This is also the reason why Xiaoxue wants to shovel cabbage.

Third, it is cheap and easy to store.

No matter how delicious the vegetables are, if they cannot be preserved for a long time, they will naturally not be loved by everyone. Moreover, Chinese cabbage is not only delicious, but also low in price, and can be preserved for a long time, so Xiaoxue naturally shovels cabbage.