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| Zha cai | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 Whole heads ofzha cai coated in chili paste | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 榨菜 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | zhà cài | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Zha cai ([ʈʂâ tsʰâɪ];榨菜), also romanized asCha tsai, is a type ofpickledmustard plant stem originating fromChongqing,China. The name may also be written in English ascha tsai,tsa tsai,jar choy,jar choi,ja choi,ja choy, orcha tsoi. In English, it is commonly known asSichuan vegetable,Szechwan vegetable, orChinese pickled vegetable, although all of these terms may also refer to any of a number of otherChinese pickles, including the several other types in the Sichuan province itself.[1]
The pickle is made from the knobbly, fist-sized, swollen green stem ofBrassica juncea, subspeciestsatsai. The stem is first salted and pressed, and dried before being rubbed with hot redchili paste and allowed toferment in anearthenware jar.[2]
The taste is a combination of spicy, sour, and salty. Its unique texture—crunchy, yet tender—can only be vaguely compared to Westernpickled cucumbers. Excess salt in the preserved vegetable is leached out by soaking in fresh water. Considered to be rich inumami,zha cai varies in spiciness depending on the amount ofchili paste used in preparation.[3]
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 Sichuandan dan noodles,[5] in soups with ground pork andmifen, and as a condiment forrice 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 featuringzha cai is "noodles withZha Cai and shredded pork" (榨菜肉絲麵;zhà cài ròusī miàn).[7]Zha cai is also an ingredient ofci fan tuan, a popular dish inShanghai 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 aszāsai (katakana: ザーサイ; kanji: 搾菜).
Like other vegetable stems in Chinese cuisines, particularlyceltuce, zha cai can also be sliced and sautéed.
Fuling, a district inChongqing, is closely associated withzha cai.[8] The largest manufacturer, Fuling Zhacai, manufacturers of the Wujiang (乌江,Wu River) brand, is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange[9] and in 2021 celebrated selling 15 billion packets.[10]
