Heitacai, a unique species of Chinese cabbage grown in Rugao [Photo/ntjoy.com]

Heitacai, a unique species of Chinese cabbage grown in Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, proved popular at a promotional conference for Rugao's agricultural products held in Shanghai on Nov 12.

Nearly 100 representatives from the Shanghai government, supermarkets, and hotels responded favorably to a variety of dishes made from the vegetable.

Due to its specific soil, temperature, and seasonal requirements, the vegetable can only be grown in Rugao. Its history can be dated back to the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99) during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The city currently grows the cabbage over an area of 1,334 hectares, producing 20,000 tons of the vegetable every year.

"During the conference, many merchants expressed an eagerness to bring the vegetable to the Shanghai market," said Ding Xinghua, deputy Party secretary of Rugao.

Rugao is an important supplier of agricultural products to Shanghai, with 40 percent of its output flowing into the city. It sold nearly 3.4 billion yuan ($484.5) in agricultural products to Shanghai from January to October this year.