Ya cai () is a pickled vegetable originating from the Sichuan province, China.Fuchsia Dunlop (2025). 9780393241211, W. W. Norton. . ISBN 9780393241211 It is made from the upper stems of a variety of mustard plant.A. Conlon (2025). 9781607748953, Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony. . ISBN 9781607748953 Ya Cai is more pungent than the similar zha cai.