Many people are wrong! Garlic scapes vs. garlic sprouts, which one is right?

The Chinese names of plants are like refined codes, containing rich information such as their origin and morphological characteristics, without lengthy descriptions in biological terms. However, given the profound heritage and long history of Chinese characters, plant names have undergone many changes over the long years.

To this end, Tadpole Music specially invited Mr. Wei Deyong from the Shenzhen Writers Association to conduct an in-depth analysis of those common but easily mispronounced or misread plant names from multiple dimensions such as their naming origins, biological characteristics, and historical evolution.

In daily life, whether we are stepping into the supermarket or vegetable market to buy vegetables, or immersing ourselves in the lines of books and newspapers, we often encounter the two words "garlic sprouts" and "garlic moss".

Since they pronounce the same way and refer to the same vegetable, many people naturally assume that "garlic sprouts" is a simplified version of "garlic stalks" and that the two are interchangeable.

However, from a rigorous botanical perspective, "garlic scapes" is an accurate name, while "garlic moss" is a variant caused by misunderstanding and convenience, and is an error that has gradually formed in the process of language communication.

Unfortunately, due to various factors, the frequency of this word, which was originally caused by misuse, has gradually surpassed that of its authentic predecessor, reaching a level that confuses people and makes it difficult to distinguish between true and false.

01

Sedge, nutritious and delicious

The word "薹" has dual meanings . One of them refers to 薹草, a kind of herb used by the ancients to weave cloaks or raincoats. Its history can be traced back to the records in the Han Dynasty dictionary "Er Ya", which defined its alias as 夫许, clarifying its identity as a herb.

Another meaning of "薹" is related to the delicious food on the table. It refers to the stems of vegetables such as garlic and rapeseed , which are popular for their taste and nutrition. Take garlic as an example. As a member of the genus Allium in the lily family, the stem of garlic is called garlic 薹 (also known as garlic hair).

Garlic scapes not only conquer the hearts of diners with their delicious flavor, but are also known as "longevity vegetables" because they are rich in high-quality protein, multiple vitamins and trace elements. Their unique aroma and crisp taste make them a frequent guest in many cooking methods such as stir-frying, pickling, and cold salads. They frequently appear on family tables, which in turn promotes the popularity of the word "scape" in the market.

Rapeseed is a plant of the genus Brassica in the family Cruciferae, and was affectionately called Brassica (in a narrow sense) by the ancients. The tender stems of rapeseed, namely cauliflower, are a superior choice in cooking, and "stir-fried cauliflower" is an indispensable and elegant delicacy when entertaining distinguished guests in the southern region.

It is worth noting that the Brassica genus has more than 20 cultivars or varieties, which are divided into three major groups: cabbage, mustard and kale, which together constitute the broad Brassica world. Therefore, "薹" is used as a special word for botanical species relationships and cannot be replaced by other words.

0 2

Moss, simple structure and likes shade and moisture

"Moss" is a key component of the bryophyte kingdom, known for its simple yet vital structure, with blurred boundaries between stems and leaves, and a preference for living in humid environments. As one of the four major branches of green plants, bryophytes represent the typical characteristics of lower plants and are divided into two major categories: mosses and bryophytes.

Among them, mosses are more ancient and primitive, especially hornworts, which almost abandon the differentiation of stems and leaves, and grow on the ground without raising their heads. They are often found in dark and moist places such as cracks in stone steps and mottled walls. Hence, there is the elegant poem "moss marks are green on the steps, and grass is green in the curtains".

Although mosses are not food for humans, they play an indispensable role in nature, effectively curbing soil erosion and accelerating the weathering and decomposition of rocks . Their footprints are all over the world, from the ice and snow world of the polar regions to the lush land of the tropical rainforest, from the northern lights to the Antarctic glaciers. Mosses have proved their extraordinary and unique ecological value with their tenacious and widespread distribution.

03

There are differences between sedge mosses and reasons for their misuse

"薹" and "蛾" represent two kinds of

A completely different concept of botany

Each defines a specific plant phenomenon

"薹" refers to the written expression of the stem that extends from the growing point of certain plants, which is often edible; "moss" refers to a type of lower plants that usually prefer humid environments, form dense mats or clumps, lack obvious differentiation of roots, stems, and leaves, and are inedible to humans.

Very common stream moss (no stem and leaf differentiation)

Based on the above distinction, it is not difficult to find that in daily contexts, vegetables should be named "garlic stalks" rather than "garlic moss" . Similarly, the word "stalk" in the names of vegetables such as "leek stalks" and "rapeseed stalks" cannot be replaced by the word "moss". This is verified in authoritative dictionaries, such as the "Modern Chinese Dictionary" (6th edition) and the "Modern Chinese Standard Dictionary" (2nd edition), which only include the word "garlic stalks" but not "garlic moss".

However, why is it that in actual use, the boundary between "garlic stalks" and "garlic mosses" becomes blurred and even difficult to distinguish? This is mainly due to two aspects of convenience considerations.

First, from the perspective of writing convenience , the character "蛾" has only 8 strokes, while the character "薹" has as many as 17 strokes. The difference in writing speed is obvious. Especially in the scenes of public life such as vegetable markets, supermarkets, and restaurants, the frequent writing needs make people more inclined to choose the character "蛾" which is easy to write and easy to recognize. This choice seems natural, but it blurs the boundary between the two to a certain extent.

Secondly, the convenience of professionals has also played a role in fueling the trend. Although newspapers, books and other publications are regarded as carriers of authoritative written language and should strictly avoid word usage errors, in recent years, the writing of "garlic moss" has frequently appeared in many publications.

The widespread spread of this incorrect usage has undoubtedly deepened the public's solidified impression of the wrong word. For example, the famous writer Mo Yan's novel "The Song of Heaven's Garlic Sprouts" was mistakenly written as "The Song of Heaven's Garlic Moss" in some books. This incident was even listed as one of the annual language errors by the editorial department of "Yiwenjuezi", which shows its wide impact.

Screenshot of the content of "Language and Characters Newspaper" on December 28, 2012

In summary, "薹" and "蛾" are clearly distinguished in the field of botany, but in actual use, the boundary between the two becomes blurred due to the convenience of writing and the convenience of professionals. Therefore, we need to pay more attention to the standardization of word use to avoid the widespread dissemination and solidification of incorrect usage.

References

1. The Garlic Ballads of Heaven, by Mo Yan, Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House (2012)

2. "Garlic sprouts should not be written as "garlic moss"" in "Language and Writing Newspaper" on January 17, 2024, by Jia Jing

3. “Yiwenjuezi releases the “Top Ten Chinese Language Errors of 2012””, Sina Blog (cited on 2012-12-28)