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空心菜─暗示「有心招待，無心留客」
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Taste of Taiwan
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原產於東南亞的空心菜，約於中國宋代時傳至東亞，北宋的《嘉祐補注本草》中即以「蕹菜」之名留下紀錄。
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心菜因為莖部中空而得名，至於名為蕹菜則有幾種說法：其一是自海外傳入時「番舶以甕盛之歸，故又名甕菜」；其二則是栽種時只需將土覆蓋莖節處即可發根生長，「蕹與壅同。此菜惟以壅成，故謂之壅」；台語或客家話則以「蕹菜」稱之。
空心菜喜歡溫暖的氣候環境，在台灣四季皆產。除了北台灣的冬季外，各地全年都適合栽種，其中又以彰化、雲林、嘉義和屏東地區為主要產地。
空心菜葉新鮮時脆嫩多汁、沒有苦味，因為產量高、價格便宜而成為麵館、餐館中燙青菜最常見的蔬菜之一。
▋普渡拜拜供桌上的空心菜，象徵有心招待無心留客
在台灣唾手可得，但空心菜在歐美等會下雪的地方，就成為嬌貴的蔬菜，甚至有錢也吃不到，使空心菜成為海外遊子返鄉時的「鄉愁系美食」，利用機會大啖各種空心菜料理。
中元普渡拜拜，供桌上就算擺滿了從牲禮到糕點等豐富的供品，但都還是一定少不了空心菜。
這是因為在早期經濟不優渥的年代，空心菜因為便宜，成了招待好兄弟最容易的一道料理。而空心菜的「空心」，又隱含著和好兄弟「不交心」，暗示「有心招待，無心留客」。
供桌上的空心菜只能汆燙一下下，半生不熟即可，象徵彼此「不熟」，希望好兄弟們趕緊上路，不要留戀現世。
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