Pickled & Preserved Cabbages

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is cabbage that is salted to a precise degree and allowed to ferment, pressed under its own brine, through several generations of bacteria until it reaches a desired degree of sourness from a final lactic acid fermentation. It is then refrigerated or canned to stop further fermentation. It is usually shredded before fermentation, but In some cases it is made with lengthwise wedges of cabbage rather than shredded.

Sauerkraut is very important to the cuisines of Germany, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Netherlands and parts of the Balkans. It is also popular in parts of France and Italy that have German exposure. Sauerkraut consumption has been declining in North America, which is not surprisingly since it is often prepared with little care.   Details and Cooking.

Pickled Chinese Cabbage

This is simply Sauerkraut made with Napa cabbage (actually a turnip green). It is often made from whole cabbages, using a long narrow cultivar rather than the short fat ones common in our markets, but may also be made from separated leaves or even shredded leaves. Naturally, the flavor is somewhat different from that of white head cabbage sauerkraut, and is often somewhat milder.

This product is usually found in vacuum packed plastic bags and should be kept refrigerated, especially after opening the package. Typically, Cabbage, Salt, Lactic Acid Culture, but may also include Vitamin C (to preserve color), Potassium bisulfate (a sterilizing agent) and/or Sodium sulphate (to preserve color).

Kimchi

Absolutely indispensable at any Korean meal, this is a salt fermented vegetable pickle made in Korea, Manchuria, and northern China since ancient times. Napa cabbage (actually a turnip green) and Radish (daikon) are most common, but there must be at least a hundred distinct recipes that include many different vegetables. The photo shows cabbage kimchi on the left and radish on the right. Kimchi is bright red but fairly mild by Southern California standards - though folks from the Frozen North may disagree.   Details and Cooking.

Tianjin Preserved Vegetable

[Tianjin dongcài; (China = Tianjin winter vegetable)]

Often still found in its traditional ceramic jars, this popular preserve is from Tianjin, a city state between Beijing and the Yellow Sea in northern China. I am surprised so few cookbook recipes call for it because it's ubiquitous availability in Asian markets would indicate wide use. In China it's used to flavor stir fries and stews. The flavor is fairly strong, reminiscent of fermented black beans.

The main ingredient is an elongated form of Nappa Cabbage similar to the one Koreans use to make cabbage kimchi. It's not actually a cabbage but a turnip green. Ingred: Tianjin Cabbage, Garlic, Salt. A version without garlic is also made for certain Buddhist sects that are restricted to bland food, but I've not noticed it in California. This product keeps indefinitely in a sealed container in a cool location.

Preserved Cabbage

Sour Mustard Greens

Preserved Chinese Mustard Greens

These preserved mustard greens are a bit lighter and closer to fresh greens flavor than the Tianjin Preserved Vegetable. It is a good general purpose preserved vegetable for stir fries and the like. Float was to reduce salt and remove sand. . It is made from heads of Large Gai Choy. Ingred: Chinese Mustard Greens, Salt, Sugar, Sulphur Dioxide. Store in a sealed container in a cool location.   Details and Cooking

Szechwan Vegetable / Zha cai

This is a salt fermented pickled vegetable made from the lower stems of a mutant mustard cultivar with strangely swollen stems. This variety appeared in Sichuan provence and first became popular there, but it is now also used in other cuisines of Southern China. It is very salty and needs to be rinsed thoroughly before use. The photo specimens, purchased out of a tub in a Los Angeles Asian market (Alhambra), were about 3 inches in diameter and weighed 8-3/4 ounces each.   Details and Cooking.

Yibin Yacai / Yibin Suimi Yacai

From Yibin in southern Sichuan, this is salted and fermented Mustard Stems, but regular leaf stems, not mutant swollen stems like Zhacai. Suimi simply means it has been chopped small. It comes in two varieties, savory and sweet. It is the sweet version that is most famous. and essential for Dan Dan Noodles and other dishes. The savory is wilted, salted and fermented for 3 to 6 months. The sweet starts as the savory and is taken out of the pickle and simmered with brown sugar for at least 8 hours, then hung up to dry again. Following that it is packed back in the jars and fermented for another 3 months to a year.   Subst: The closest is Tianjin Preserved Vegetable, but it is not nearly as sweet.

Salted Mustard Stem

Preserved Turnip / Daikon Radish

In East Asian packaging the word "Turnip" actually means "Daikon Radish". Usually these daikons are a short stubby version rather than the long carrot shaped Japanese style. They are salt pickled and may be whole or more commonly are cut into strips. This product is now often sold in vacuum bags and can be kept for months at room temperature. Once opened they should be refrigerated in a sealed container and will keep for many months more.   Details and Cooking.

Preserved Turnip Greens / Daikon Greens

In East Asian packaging the word "Turnip" actually means "Daikon Radish". The greens are stronger in flavor than the roots and rather than being pickled are simply preserved in salt, lots of salt. Traditionally they were rolled up into balls weighing 1-1/2 ounces but that form isn't common now.   Details and Cooking.

Dried Salted Turnip / Daikon

In East Asian packaging the word "Turnip" actually means "Daikon Radish". This form has a different shape from the well known carrot shaped Daikon, and is the whole plant with the greens topped and lesser roots trimmed off. It's been simply preserved in salt, lots of salt, and it needs a good soaking before use.   Details and Cooking.

Pickled Daikon

This product is very popular in Japan and Korea as a side dish. In Japan and California it is also used in sushi rolls. The Japanese also have a white daikon pickled in sake with koji culture still in it. The photo specimens are factory made, and the yellow dyed with food coloring - but not the hideous fluorescent yellow color many are done in.   Details and Cooking.

Pickled Turnip