CABBAGE, once the favourite winter vegetable of the Chinese is seeing hard
times. The ultimate insult has been
heaped on it - it is being ignored and
the new Chinese preferences include
vegetables like spinach, broccoli, brinjal,
cauliflower, tomatoes and garlic shoots.
Earlier, winters meant cabbages
being bought for the wholeseason. As
much as 450 kg per family was reverently soaked in vats of water Or hung on
clothes lines or even stacked in the cool
of the doorways. 'the choice of many for
its cheap price, cabbage was used for
SOUPS, rice dishes and added to
dumplings. No longer, however. As living standards increase and more green-
houses make their appearance, Chinese
tastes have evolved into more exotic
flavours like meat and dairy products. The leafy vegetable is now relegate
being used for side dishes, if at all, I r
1950s and 1960s, cabbage creativitv
at its peak as meat, fish and other
etables were hardly available.
In China's inflationary economy
however, cabbage still remains a bargain
at 11.5 us cents for half a kilogram.
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