Zha cai (; 榨菜), also romanized as Cha tsai, is a type of Pickling mustard plant stem originating in 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.[
Pictures and more descriptions of zha cai]
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 pepper paste and allowed to ferment in an
earthenware 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
. 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,
is used in many of the various cuisines of China such as in Sichuan dan dan noodles,
in soups with ground pork and
Rice noodles, 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).
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
Chongqing, 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.
See also
External links
