7. 榨菜 (zhà cài) - hot pickled mustard tuber
Sichuan is known for its pickle, but one in particular stands out. Again it's a type of mustard, this time Brassica juncea subsp. tsatsai. Only the bulbous tuber is used in what is termed 榨菜 (zhà cài), literally 'pressed vegetable'.
Zha Cai
The tubers are salted then pressed with a heavy weight placed on top. After some time (it varies) they are dried, then put into earthern jars with ground chillies and/or chili paste, Sichuan peppercorns and other spices and left to ferment. When deemed suffiently fermented, the chilli paste etc is washed off and they are ready to be eaten.
Washed zha cai
The fermented tubers can be chopped finely and used in several ways. In Sichuan, chopped zha cai is often added to congee for breakfast. Alternatively it can be sliced and added to stir-fries.
Zha cai from Fuling district (涪陵区 - fú líng qū) in Chongqing (formerly part of Sichuan), is said by many to be the best. It is also where the pickle is believed to have been invented. Wujiang (乌江 - wū jiāng) is the largest brand and is located in Fuling.
I'm told it is often sold canned in Chinese markets in the USA and Britain, unhelpfully labelled in English as 'Chinese preserved vegetable'. That could cover literally hudreds of things.
Here I can buy it by the bulb, as above, as well as cut into batons or finely chopped. It is also sold in jars or bags.
