While living in China. I have learned new things about vegetables. Although many vegetables here are not new to me, the way they are cooked is quite different. I had eaten eggplant in Australia before, but as soon as I tried a Chinese-style eggplant dish.
I felt like I was eating a new type of vegetable. In the West, eggplant is often grilled（烤）so it becomes soft. However, it doesn't taste like the Chinese dish. In China, people add many things like garlic and spring onions, which make it truly mouthwatering. That's really wonderful!
Another special thing about Chinese vegetables is the variety (种类). For example, in China, there are more kinds of mushrooms than in Australia. You can even eat black fungus ( 木耳）, which is difficult to find in Western countries. The same goes for different kinds of leafy green vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage and pea shoots.
What's more, in Chinese culture some vegetables have good meanings. Stepping inside a Chinese person's home, you may find paintings and small sculptures of different vegetables. For example, because of its pronunciation, the Chinese cabbage is seen as standing for wealth. Or there is the gourd. Because of its shape and pronunciation, it has many different cultural meanings, including happiness, having a large family and old age.
You could say that for Chinese people, vegetables stand for much more than just a healthy diet. They stand for delicious food and a good and happy life.
Chinese people don't just love cooking delicious vegetable dishes. They also love growing vegetables.Chinese people have grown vegetables in their backyards for centuries. Now, they have also grown them in the Antarctic （南极）, and even in space.
