百菜不如白菜

Chinese Cabbage:King of Vegetables

自古至今,胶东的大白菜都特有名气。记得鲁迅先生的散文《藤野先生》里有这样一段话:“北京的白菜运往浙江,用红头绳系住菜根,倒挂在水果店头,尊为‘胶菜’。”那篇文章写于1926年,可见当年的“胶菜”是何等珍贵。在烟台,大白菜虽然不像鲁迅先生描述的那般珍贵,可一直享有“百菜不如白菜”的美誉,并被称为“菜中之王”。民间甚至还流传着这样一段顺口溜:“鱼生火,肉生痰,白菜豆腐保平安”,把大白菜都夸成灵丹妙药了。

The Chinese cabbage in Jiaodong has been well-known since ancient times.I remember a passage from Lu Xun's es-say"Mr.Fujino":"When the Chinese cabbage produced in Beijing was transported to Zhejiang and hung with a red string tied to its root at fruit stores,it would be respected as"Jiaocai",Chinese cabbage produced in Jiaodong.