Pickled mustard plant stem from Chongqing, China
Zha cai
(
[??â ts?â?]
;
?菜
), also romanized as
Cha tsai
, is a type of
pickled
mustard plant
stem originating from
Chongqing
,
China
. 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.
[1]
Production
[
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]
Zha cai is made specifically from the swollen stem of
Brassica juncea
subsp.
tsatsai.
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
jar.
[2]
This preservation process is similar to that used to produce
Korean
kimchi
.
Flavour
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]
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
.
Zha cai
is generally washed prior to use in order to remove the chili paste. 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.
[3]
Uses
[
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]
Zha cai cut into thick strips for cooking
Originating in Sichuan and believed to be one of the world's oldest types of pickles,
[4]
zha cai
is used in many of the various cuisines of China such as in Sichuan
dan dan noodles
,
[5]
in soups with ground pork and
mifen
, and as a condiment for
rice congee
.
[6]
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" (?菜肉絲麵;
zha cai rous? mian
).
[7]
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
z?sai
(katakana: ザ?サイ; kanji: 搾菜).
Like other vegetable stems in Chinese cuisines, particularly
celtuce
, zha cai can also be sliced and sauteed.
Manufacturers
[
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]
Fuling
, a district in
Chongqing
, is closely associated with
zha cai
.
[8]
The largest manufacturer, Fuling Zhacai, manufacturers of the Wujiang (?江,
Wu River
) brand, is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange
[9]
and in 2021 celebrated selling 15 billion packets.
[10]
See also
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]
References
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]
External links
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]