''Zha cai'' (; ), also romanized as ''Cha tsai'', is a type of pickled mustard plant stem originating in

Chongqing ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. The name may also be written in English as ''cha tsai'', ''tsa tsai'', ''jar choy'', ''jar choi'', ''ja choi'', ''ja choy'', or ''cha tsoi''. In English, it is commonly known as Sichuan vegetable, Szechwan vegetable, or Chinese pickled vegetable, although all of these terms may also refer to any of a number of other Chinese pickles, including the several other types in the Sichuan province itself.

Production

The pickle is made from the knobbly, fist-sized, swollen green stem of '' Brassica juncea'', subspecies ''tsatsai''. The stem is first salted and pressed, and dried before being rubbed with hot red chili paste and allowed to ferment in an

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...

jar.

Flavour

The taste is a combination of spicy, sour, and salty. Its unique texture—crunchy, yet tender—can only be vaguely compared to Western pickled cucumbers. Excess salt in the preserved vegetable is leached out by soaking in fresh water. Considered to be rich in umami, ''zha cai'' varies in spiciness depending on the amount of chili paste used in preparation.

Uses

Originating in Sichuan and believed to be one of the world's oldest types of pickles, ''zha cai'' is used in many of the various cuisines of China such as in Sichuan dan dan noodles, in soups with ground pork and '' mifen'', and as a condiment for rice congee. It is generally sliced into thin strips and used in small amounts due to its extreme saltiness, although this saltiness can be tempered somewhat by soaking the strips in water prior to use. A popular Chinese dish featuring ''zha cai'' is "noodles with ''Zha Cai'' and shredded pork" (榨菜肉絲麵; ''zhà cài ròusī miàn''). ''Zha cai'' is also an ingredient of '' ci fan tuan'', a popular dish in Shanghai cuisine. In Japan, the pickle is common in Chinese restaurants (though it is usually less spicy, to suit Japanese tastes), and it is transliterated into Japanese as ''zāsai'' (katakana: ザーサイ; kanji: 搾菜). Like other vegetable stems in Chinese cuisines, particularly celtuce, zha cai can also be sliced and sautéed.

Manufacturers

Fuling, a district in

, is closely associated with ''zha cai''. The largest manufacturer, Fuling Zhacai, manufacturers of the Wujiang (乌江, Wu River) brand, is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and in 2021 celebrated selling 15 billion packets.

References

External links