history
It was written around 1600 by 洪应明, of whom almost nothing is known. Its 360-odd short maxims, mostly in balanced parallel lines, blend Confucian, Daoist and Buddhist thought on staying calm, modest and content.
culture
The title echoes a Song saying that anyone who can chew 菜根 'vegetable roots', that is, live on the plainest food, can accomplish anything. The book is also widely read in Japan as a guide to life and business.
