菜根 (cài gēn) — inedible root or stalk of a vegetable (often tough and discarded)

Definition

Examples

• 这道汤把菜根都切掉了，只用了菜叶。
  Zhè dào tāng bǎ cài gēn dōu qiē diào le, zhǐ yòng le cài yè.
  This soup cut off the inedible roots, using only the leaves.
• 买回来的青菜一定要把菜根洗干净，但通常都不吃。
  Mǎi huí lái de qīng cài yí dìng yào bǎ cài gēn xǐ gān jìng, dàn tōng cháng dōu bù chī.
  When buying greens home, you must wash the inedible roots, but usually you don't eat them.
• 这种蔬菜的菜根很硬，不适合食用。
  Zhè zhǒng shū cài de cài gēn hěn yìng, bú shì hé shí yòng.
  The roots of this vegetable are very hard and not suitable for eating.

Origin