大白菜，在西方又称"中国白菜"或"北京品种白菜"。由于大白菜是在秋季玉米收获后播种，初冬收获，产量很大，管理起来也比较容易，只是储存需要占地，所以当季上市价格非常便宜。
Chinese cabbage is also known as "bok choy" or "brassica pekinensis" in the west. Because it is sown after the autumn corn harvest and harvested in early winter, has a high yield and is relatively easy to take care of, only requiring some space for storage, Chinese cabbage in season is very inexpensive.

中国的老百姓特别是北方老百姓对白菜有特殊的感情。在经济困难的时期，大白菜是他们整个冬季唯一可吃的蔬菜，一户人家往往需要储存数百斤白菜过冬，因此白菜在中国菜里演变出了炖、炒、腌、拌等各种烧法。冬季，大白菜外部叶子干燥后可以为内部保温,完全可以堆储在室外安全过冬。
China's laobaixing ("common people") have a special affection for the Chinese cabbage, particularly northerners. During times of economic hardship, when it was the only vegetableavailable in the winter, a single family might store one hundred pounds of Chinese cabbage in order to pass the winter. As a result, many cooking methods for Chinese cabbage have emerged over time: mixed, stewed, stir-fried and pickled, to name but a few. Once the outer leaves have dried they insulate the rest of the cabbage, meaning that the vegetable can be safely kept outdoors throughout winter.

但是随着生活水平的提高和大棚养殖技术的发展，现在市场上常年都有大白菜供应，因此冬储大白菜由过去的冬季当家菜变成一年都可享用的常态消费菜。老百姓对大白菜的消费取向也开始由"温饱型"向"享受型"消费转变。如今,基本上只有老年人还对冬储大白菜"情有独钟"。
However, with rising living standards and the development of greenhouse technology, today Chinese cabbage is supplied to markets all year round. The Chinese cabbage has gone from a household vegetable that was stored away in the winter to one which can be consumed all year round. Consumption habits have also changed – with the fear of not having enough to eat in winter gone. The cabbage is now just a vegetable to be enjoyed. Today, only the older generation still retains an affection for the past habit of storing cabbages during winter.

• cabbage [´kæbidʒ]   n.卷心菜；洋白菜   (初中英语单词)
• harvest [´hɑ:vist]   n.&v.收获；收割   (初中英语单词)
• affection [ə´fekʃən]   n.友爱；慈爱   (初中英语单词)
• vegetable [´vedʒtəbəl]   a.&n.蔬菜(的)；植物   (初中英语单词)
• available [ə´veiləbəl]   a.可用的；有效的   (初中英语单词)
• safely [´seifli]   ad.安全地；平安地   (初中英语单词)
• generation [,dʒenə´reiʃən]   n.发生；世代；同龄人   (初中英语单词)
• relatively [´relətivli]   ad.比较地；相对地   (高中英语单词)
• storage [´stɔ:ridʒ]   n.贮存；存储器   (高中英语单词)
• hardship [´hɑ:dʃip]   n.受苦，吃苦；苦难   (高中英语单词)
• consumption [kən´sʌmpʃən]   n.消耗；结核病   (高中英语单词)
• inexpensive [,inik´spensiv]   a.廉价的   (英语六级单词)
• insulate [´insjuleit]   v.绝缘，隔离，使孤立   (英语六级单词)
• greenhouse [´gri:nhaus]   n.温室，玻璃暖房   (英语六级单词)