Happy season of mustard greens

In the Southern people's Tet meal, besides the pot of braised pork and eggs, the red color of watermelon, the flavor of pickled mustard greens is an indispensable dish. With a unique flavor, easy to transform into many dishes, it relieves the boredom of days full of meat and fish, with many health benefits, pickled mustard greens also carry the soul and typical Tet flavor of the land and people of the new land.

On the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, we returned to Khanh Binh Commune, Tran Van Thoi District, the oldest place in Ca Mau where the famous Chinese cabbage (also known as Chinese cabbage) has been grown. Mr. Le Minh Toan, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, informed: "This year, the area of Chinese cabbage grown by the people has decreased somewhat compared to previous years, only over 6.4 hectares. However, no matter what, many people are still loyal to the Chinese cabbage, because it is not only a source of considerable income during Tet but also the character of the land, the character of the people, and the pride of Khanh Binh over the years."

This year the weather is favorable, the mustard greens are growing well, promising a bountiful harvest.

Many people know about the story of the Chinese cabbage tree being closely associated with the land and farmers of Khanh Binh, but few people know it in detail. Meeting old farmer Tran Van Tu, Rach Bao hamlet, now 77 years old, he said: “I am from Can Tho , I came here to start a business, and I was also one of the first people to grow Chinese cabbage in this area more than 40 years ago. Seeing the effectiveness, many people followed suit, and gradually Chinese cabbage tree became the main vegetable crop near Tet in the locality.”

At first, many people had to build high trellises to grow Chinese cabbage, but Mr. Tu firmly stated: “The soil here is very suitable for Chinese cabbage. I boldly planted Chinese cabbage on the land and it yielded very good yield and quality, so people followed suit.” For more than 40 years, Mr. Tu has remained faithful to Chinese cabbage, not only because his family’s sole livelihood is farming, but he also feels great gratitude and pride for this product. “It must be affirmed that the quality of the Chinese cabbage in Khanh Binh is superior to that of other places. When pickled, the Chinese cabbage is crispy and fragrant, without a bitter aftertaste. The Chinese cabbage in this area is not only delicious but also beautiful in appearance and size. Especially, the heart of the Chinese cabbage growers is always conscious of ensuring the safety and health of the eaters. Therefore, over the years, it is difficult for any place to build a reputation like the Chinese cabbage in this area,” Mr. Tu confided.

Old farmer Tran Van Tu, one of the first people to grow Chinese cabbage in Khanh Binh, affirmed: "As long as there is pickled cabbage on Tet, people in Khanh Binh will still grow Chinese cabbage, that's it!".

Mr. Tu's words made listeners believe. Because his family only had 3 hectares of land, of which the area for growing crops was only 1,000 square meters. From that modest plot of land, Mr. Tu raised his five children to adulthood, and the family had a stable foundation, and the greatest credit, as he said, was "thanks to the rau tua xai". Being a diligent person, Mr. Tu worked hard to grow crops season after season, each season with a different type, but during Tet, he definitely grew rau tua xai, without fail. The old farmer confided: "Growing rau tua xai looks easy but is difficult, if you master the techniques and experience, you will have a high chance of success. Like my plot of land, if I grow it successfully, I will get 6 tons, and if I don't grow it well, I will get more than 3 tons each season. After all the expenses, if I have a profit of ten or twenty million before Tet, I will be very happy."

Mr. Thai Huu Luy, Rach Bao hamlet, has more than 30 years of experience growing Chinese cabbage, said: “Growing Chinese cabbage requires a lot of effort in the care stage, and then requires techniques and experience to get results. If 1 hectare of rice field only makes a profit of 4-5 million VND/crop, then the profit from growing Chinese cabbage must be 4-5 times higher than growing rice. The cabbage growing season lasts about 2 months, including 20 days for sowing seeds, and about 1 month and 20 days for planting in the fields to harvest. The cabbage harvest season is right before Tet, so people have more money to prepare for Tet or save for the family economy in the new year, so they are very excited.”

When I wondered why the people of Khanh Binh grow delicious cabbage but don't make pickles to sell, Mr. Luy laughed out loud: "Like my family, each harvest can yield dozens of tons of cabbage, so how can we make pickles? There are also people who grow cabbage to make pickles in the off-season, but it's very hard, so we grow delicious cabbage as raw materials to sell to everyone to make pickles for Tet, consider it a little bit of heart and effort to make Tet for every family full, prosperous, delicious, that's enough to be happy".

Chinese cabbage, a proud product of Khanh Binh land for decades. (Photo: Mr. Thai Huu Luy takes care of the Chinese cabbage crop that is about to be harvested near Tet At Ty 2025).

In recent years, the changing weather and unstable output for agricultural products have caused the mustard greens growing profession in Khanh Binh to have many ups and downs. Mr. Mai Thanh Khen, Vice Chairman of the Commune Farmers' Association, shared: "Recently, the erratic weather and complicated epidemics have reduced mustard greens productivity, causing farmers to suffer many losses in some crops. In addition, the price of mustard greens during the peak season near Tet has also fluctuated unpredictably, affecting farmers' profits."

In Khanh Binh commune, in addition to Rach Bao hamlet, some other hamlets used to be areas with large areas of growing Chinese cabbage, such as Hamlet 1/5, Hamlet 19/5, Pham Kiet hamlet, Ong Bich hamlet. Although some people have switched to other crops, many people are still very passionate about Chinese cabbage. As Mr. Tu affirmed: "As long as there is pickled cabbage on Tet, the people of Khanh Binh will still grow Chinese cabbage, that's it!".

Walking on the fields of Khanh Binh these days, the rau tua xai still shines with a refreshing green color, promising a bountiful harvest. Rau tua xai is still a unique pride for the farmers here, a loyal and affectionate relationship that preserves the charm of the countryside. Everywhere, the lingering scent of Tet is so close...

Notes by Pham Quoc Rin

Source: https://baocamau.vn/mua-vui-cai-tua-xai-a36818.html