Xiaoshan Preserved Mustard Greens

Xiaoshan Preserved Mustard Greens

　　　Product origin: Xiaoshan, Hangzhou

　　Product features: Rich aroma, delicious taste, tender texture, and long shelf life without spoilage.

　　Product ingredients: High in glucose and amino acids.

　　Product benefits: Relieves summer heat, cleanses internal organs, aids digestion, treats coughs, and stimulates appetite.

　　Product introduction: Preserved mustard greens have a distinctive flavor and are an affordable and delicious side dish. They stimulate the appetite and, when used in soups during summer, help relieve heat and prevent heatstroke. As a result, almost every household preserves and consumes them year-round. Xiaoshan preserved mustard greens are a traditional specialty of Jiazo Township. Originally part of Shaoxing County, this product is made from large-leaf mustard greens and serves as a common, everyday food. "Braised Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens" is a traditional and popular local dish. Historically, it was mainly sold in Shaoxing, Ningbo, and Hangzhou, but in recent years, it has been exported to regions such as Jiangxi and Hunan, with an external sales volume of around 1,000 tons.

　　Product legend: It is said that there once was a clever and lovely girl named Peihong who, due to her family’s poverty, worked as a maid in the household of a wealthy Zhang family. This Zhang family was very stingy and fed the maids and laborers only yellowed and rotten vegetable leaves. In secret, Peihong pickled the vegetable leaves with salt, which surprisingly made them delicious. One day, the wealthy family discovered this. The Zhang family head found it strange, tried the dish, and found its taste truly extraordinary. He then demanded that Peihong immediately make a bowl for him. Instead, Peihong cooked a large bowl using un-pickled rotten vegetables and served it to him. Upon tasting it, the Zhang family head found it bitter and salty, and he became furious. He began cursing loudly and threw the bowl of spoiled vegetables at Peihong’s head. Unable to dodge in time, the bowl struck her temple, causing her to bleed to death. When the laborers heard about this, they were enraged and attacked the Zhang family head, killing him. Later, people commemorated Peihong by naming this type of pickled vegetable “Peihong Cai.” The locals pronounced “Peihong” the same as “Beihong,” so the name stuck. But I know the correct name should be Beihong Cai. The mustard greens used to make preserved mustard greens are also called Xue Li Hong Cai (Snow Mustard).