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Preserved VegetablePreserved Vegetable(腌菜)

 

There are different type of preserved vegetables in China.

1. Meigan Cai

Meigan cai (Chinese: 霉干菜; 梅干菜; pinyin: méigān cài; literally "molded/plum dried vegetable"; or mei cai, 梅菜) is a type of dry pickled Chinese mustard of the Hakka people from Huizhou, China. Meigan cai is also used in the cuisine of Shaoxing (绍兴), China.

The pickle consists of a whole head of various varieties of Chinese mustards and cabbages (芥菜、油菜、白菜) that has undergone an elaborate process consisting of drying, steaming, and salting. The vegetables are harvested, trimmed before the Qingming Festival, and sun-dried until limp. It is then salted or brined, kneaded until the vegetable exude juices, and left to ferment in large clay urns from half a month up to 20 days. The product is then repeatedly steamed and dried until the vegetable reddish brown in colour and highly fragrant.

This pickled vegetable is used to flavor stewed dishes, in particular Meigan cai cooked with meat (梅菜扣肉/梅干菜烧肉) or for Meigancai baozi (梅菜菜包). Meigan cai was formerly a tribute item to the imperial palace in the Qing Dynasty.

 

Laura's recipe:

Steamed Pork with Preserved Vegetable Steamed Pork with Preserved Vegetable

 

 

 

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