Once the king of 100 vegetables, it has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years, why did it become a wild vegetable?
Introductory. China has always been a big agricultural country, and the cultivation of abundant crops has always been the basis for the survival of farmers. However, over time, many species of plants have gradually disappeared for various reasons, and some of the staple vegetables of the past have now become wild vegetables. One of the plants was once known for"The king of vegetables"The title was widely cultivated, but now it has been reduced to a wild vegetable. What exactly is this plant and why does it turn into a wild vegetable?
Winterberries – every"The king of vegetables"。
Rural people are no strangers to wild vegetables, especially in the last century, wild vegetables are an important part of people's daily life, because in times of food shortage, wild vegetables are the key to people's survival. One of the wild vegetables was once called"The king of vegetables"It has a long history of cultivation in China. This vegetable is none other than hollyhock, a very common wild vegetable that has various names in different regions such as"Winter vegetables"、"Sunliflower"Wait. Hollycrop is called"The king of vegetables", for its own unique historical reasons.
The long history of winter sunflowers.
The history of cultivation of this vegetable in China dates back more than 2,000 years and is even documented in the Book of Songs. At that time, hollyhock was already a very common vegetable in the minds of dignitaries and nobles, and it was even called"The first of the five dishes"。It is also recorded in the Yellow Emperor's Neijing that hollyhock was one of the most eaten vegetables at that time, and it has always been among the best. In the Western Han Dynasty, hollyhock continued to occupy the first place among dozens of vegetables, so it was honorifically called"The first of the hundred dishes"。
The reason why winter sunhock enjoys such a high status is that there are not many types of edible vegetables in ancient China, and the cultivation technology is not developed. As a result, people prefer to grow high-yielding, manageable, and adaptable vegetables, and hollyhock meets these characteristics. In addition, hollyhock can be grown in all seasons and can survive even in cold winters. They are adapted to cold and wet climates, which is why many farmers are willing to grow them.
In addition, the winter sunhock has also become a starving people"Life-saving dishes"Many people depend on it for their survival, and hollyhock has a very good taste and is loved by people. In the past, cooking oil was not as common as it is today, and people could only extract some very limited amounts of oil from animals. As a result, people rarely use oil to cook food. The difference is that hollyho itself contains mucus, so even with a small amount of oil, it can give a rich, mild flavor to dishes, which is one of the reasons why people love hollyho.
However, over time, the claimed"The king of vegetables"However, the winter sunflower has slowly disappeared from the planting area and is now reduced to a wild vegetable. So, what is it that makes it a wild vegetable?
The reason why sauerkraut is reduced to a wild vegetable in winter.
In fact, with the passage of time, many former crops have gradually disappeared from people's sight, and some have even been reduced to wild vegetables, and winter sunflower is no exception. This is mainly due to the fact that hollyhock can no longer meet people's daily needs, and even better alternatives have emerged. It is for these reasons that people abandon this plant.
Winter flowers are replaced by cabbage.
Hollywood was eventually replaced by cabbage that we often see today. So, what causes winter sunflower to end up being a wild vegetable?In fact, one of the reasons why people planted hollows in large quantities in the past was that they could survive the winter and have a higher yield than other vegetables. However, since the appearance of cabbage, the status of winter sunhocks has completely declined. Although hollyhock can also grow in winter, the yield is much lower than that of cabbage. In addition, cabbage has made greater progress and development in cultivation technology and variety improvement, with higher yields and better quality. In addition, cabbage also has a more pleasant taste than hollyhock and is more suitable for cooking and eating, so it gradually takes the place of hollyhock.
Due to the limitations of the growing conditions, the winter flowers are slowly disappearing.
Another reason is that winter sunhocks are more demanding in terms of growing conditions. Winter sun, moist soil, and plenty of water are needed to grow. However, with the continuous expansion of urban construction and the reduction of farmland area, there is less and less land for planting winter sunflowers, and there is no suitable land for planting winter sunflower in many places. At the same time, the advancement of modern crop cultivation technology has also made people more inclined to plant high-yielding plant varieties, and the area of planting winter sunflower has gradually decreased. As a result, the environment in which winter sunflower grows is restricted, causing its number to gradually decrease and eventually disappear from view.
Summary. Hollyhock was once Chinese"The king of vegetables"It is widely cultivated and loved by people. However, with the development of the times and the advancement of planting technology, winter sunflower was slowly replaced by more suitable and profitable vegetable varieties, and gradually disappeared from people's sight. The story of winter mallow tells us that the rise and fall of crops depends on the needs of the times and the progress of science and technology, so we need to protect and pass on crop varieties with rich history and cultural connotations, so that they can continue to shine in our lives.