Cabbage becomes gourmet food

At $8.97 a head, vegetable climbs the food chain to favored status

A type of "cabbage de terroir" now selling for 59 yuan ($8.97) a head in Qingdao, Shandong province, has quickly become a sought-after ingredient for home chefs here and abroad.

As a staple in East China, nappa cabbage, or Chinese cabbage, usually equals inexpensive food, hence the expression, "as cheap as a cabbage".