Xieqiao Pickled Mustard Greens

Xieqiao Pickled Mustard Greens

　　　　Product Name: Xieqiao Pickled Mustard Greens

　　　　Place of Origin: Xieqiao, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province

　　　　Product Features: Crisp and tender in texture, bright in color, moderately salty and spicy, delicious and refreshing.

　　　　Ingredients: Water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, crude fiber, ash, calcium, phosphorus, iron.

　　　　Benefits: Clears the heart and stimulates the appetite, improves skin and beauty.

　　　　Product Introduction: The mustard green roots are salted and then pressed to remove some moisture. This is how pickled mustard greens got their name. They are then seasoned with salt and over ten types of spices and seasonings (such as dried chili powder, Sichuan peppercorn, fennel, cardamom, pepper, mountain yam, licorice, cinnamon, white liquor, etc.), placed in jars, sealed, and stored in a cool place. In an air-isolated environment, the pickled mustard greens in the jars first undergo alcoholic fermentation, followed by lactic acid fermentation, producing a unique sourness and aroma, becoming what we know as pickled mustard greens. Chinese pickled mustard greens, European sauerkraut, and Japanese pickles are hailed as the three most famous pickled vegetables in the world. The Zhe-style pickled mustard greens represented by the "Xieqiao" brand from Haining, along with the Sichuan-style pickled mustard greens, are ranked among China's finest. Xieqiao Pickled Mustard Greens are favored both domestically and internationally for their excellent color, aroma, taste, and crisp, tender texture upon eating.

　　　　Product History: Pickled mustard greens originated from the home of Qiu Shou’an in Qiushou’an, west of Fuling City. Qiu Shou’an, a native of Xiashimuixi Lower Qiu Family Courtyard in Fuzhou during the Qing Dynasty’s Guangxu era, had earlier opened the “Rongshengchang” sauce workshop in Yichang, Hubei, also dealing in various pickled vegetable products. His family employed Deng Bingcheng from Zizhong to manage the procurement, preparation, and transport of dried pickled vegetables. In the 24th year of Guangxu (1898), the mustard green heads in the Lower Qiu Family Courtyard area had a bountiful harvest. Deng, seeing that there were too many greens to process, discussed with the women of the Qiu family the idea of trying to pickle the mustard green heads in the same way as whole preserved turnips. They turned all the mustard green heads into pickled vegetables. After they were made, Deng casually brought two jars to Yichang for Qiu to try. Qiu served them to guests, and relatives and colleagues alike found them delicious and fragrant, surpassing other pickled vegetables. Qiu immediately had the idea of profiting from them and decided to put them on the market. The following year (1899), in the first month of the lunar calendar, Qiu returned to his hometown and arranged for Deng Bingcheng, now his technician, to oversee mass production of the pickled mustard green heads. After initial salting, the brine was pressed out using wooden boxes originally used for pressing tofu. Qiu named this new type of pickled vegetable product made by removing brine with wooden boxes “pickled mustard greens.” That year, 80 jars (each equivalent to 25 kilograms) were produced and all shipped to Yichang, yielding considerable profits. Qiu then strictly ordered his family and farmhands to keep the production method secret, and he expanded production and sales year after year. In the 34th year of Guangxu (1908), Qiu Shou’an’s younger brother, Qiu Hanzhang, incidentally transported 80 jars to Shanghai for trial sales while on a business trip. At that time, there were no buyers, so Qiu placed advertisements in newspapers, and also handed out small packets of sliced pickled mustard greens in public places along with usage instructions. Gradually, the product gained acceptance among consumers.