“葵”是个形声字,从艸(草),癸声。它最早指的是锦葵科植物冬葵(Malva verticillata var. crispa),这是先秦典籍中记载的少数几种原产中国的蔬菜之一,而且曾经贵为“百菜之主”。虽然《诗经》说“七月亨葵及菽”,实际上它一年到头都可采食;特别是在冬天蔬菜短缺的时候,冬葵几乎成了唯一能吃到的新鲜蔬菜, “冬葵”一名由此而来。然而,就像北美东部的原住民有了更好的农作物就抛弃了原先种植的北藜麦、假豚草一样,中国人自从在宋代培育出白菜之后,便让它取代了冬葵,成为新的“百菜之主”和冬季消费的大宗新鲜蔬菜。不幸的冬葵从此沦为杂草,如今仅在部分地区还被当作一种地方性蔬菜,名字也变成了“冬苋菜”,让人想不到这就是古籍中大名鼎鼎的“葵”了。
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