More than 170 species, including water, perennial, and wild vegetables are used in China today. Vegetables were also brought to China from all over the world during the last 2000 years. Breeding programs resulted in new vegetable forms and cultivars of vegetables grown for centuries, such as celtuce, Chinese broccoli, Chinese cucumbers, and Chinese melons. Chinese and Oriental cuisine are of great interest to Americans despite the fact that high quality, authentic fresh ingredients demanded by Chinese cooking are often unavailable. The market demand for specialty and gourmet vegetables continues to expand as more and more attention is given to vegetables by nutritionists, food editors, food suppliers, and restauranteurs.
Many vegetables are rich in fiber, minerals, iron, calcium, and vitamins.
It is trendy to eat vegetables, especially specialty vegetables, and people are ready for a change. Data gathered for this experiment of growing Chinese and Oriental vegetables helped determine the feasibility of growing Oriental vegetables for people with interest in diverse vegetables. The research could help farmers in Kentucky grow a diversity of crops and supply new niche markets. Yield, quality, and growing methods were evaluated. Problems such as insects, diseases, and adaptation of these crops to the climate of Kentucky were evaluated.