蔓菁是一種古老的蔬菜，自《詩經》開始，就有蔓菁的記載。由於種植面積的廣大，而各地方言的不同，所以名稱也非常多，有稱爲葑、菲、菘、須、蕘、薞、蕪根、九英菘、馬王菜、諸葛菜等。古時對蔬菜亞種的觀念尚不清楚，所以常把蔓菁與菘和蘆菔混淆不清，直至《齊民要術》的出現，才將這些不同「屬」的蔬菜區隔出來。蔓菁的耕作在《齊民要術》中的敘述也非常詳盡，充分展現了賈思勰發展農村經濟的正面企圖。所以他對於蔓菁的食用與經濟效益，就有非常詳細的記載。古代的醫學當中，講究「食療同源」，對蔓菁根、子、花的療效有精細的研究。蔓菁根的通腸益氣，蔓菁子的明目、美白，都是古人實用之學的研究結晶。由於蔓菁是很平常的菜蔬，而且南北皆有，所以深入一般大眾的生活當中，在種植的園蔬中，幾乎都有蔓菁的影子，所以在文人的詩詞中，蔓菁也成了文人用來描述貧困生活當中的一種美味。而且蔓菁曾在三國時期和劉備與諸葛亮有過關聯，因此後來的文人也常把它拿來做爲典故以明己志。這些屬於蔓菁的種種敘述，讓蔓菁在整個的文化中所呈現的不只是一種蔬菜，而是從古至今在文化上與生活上智慧的象徵。

Turnip is an age-old vegetable, first mentioned in the Book of Poetry classic. There are many different names for the turnip, owing to its widespread cultivation and the different dialects spoken in thise areas. Some of these names are phe (菲), song (菘), shue (須), shen (蕘), xu-ken (蕪根), nine-en-song (九英菘), ma-wang vegetables (馬王菜), orychophragmus (諸葛菜), etc. Ancient concepts of Vegetable varieties are not clear, so often the turnip, Lu turnip and cabbage are confused. This was the case until publication of the Qi Min Yao Shu, which differentiates
different "types" of vegetables. In the Qi Min Yao Shu, techniques of turnip cultivation are described in great detail. The book also fully confirms the efforts of Cha Si-shie 賈思勰 to develop the rural economy. Thus there are very detailed records on the healthy effects of the vegetable. Ancient medical practice paid attention to the principle called "food and therapeutic practices from the same origin." Detailed research results were available for the medical uses of the root, the seed, and the flower of the turnip. For example, the root has a positive effect on the stomach, and the seed has a brightening effect on the eyes and a beautifying effect for females. The turnip is not an unusual vegetable, and is available everywhere from north to south. It is deeply involved in the daily life of ordinary people. Almost all vegetable cultivation includes turnips. Writers and poets adopt the turnip as a symbol of poverty, but also of delicious flavours. Great and intelligent leaders like Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang have been associated with the turnip, which has come to be used as symbolic of someone's great ambition. The turnip pervades the whole culture, and is not just a kind of vegetable, but also a symbol of wisdom dating from ancient times. The turnip pervades the whole culture, and is not just a kind of vegetable, but also a symbol of wisdom dating from ancient times.