Cangzhou Winter Vegetable

Cangzhou Winter Vegetable

　　Cangzhou Winter Vegetable boasts a unique flavor profile, combining sweet, salty, spicy, and aromatic notes. With its moderate moisture content and airtight packaging, it remains dry in spring, fresh in summer, mold-free in autumn, and unfrozen in winter—truly a seasonal vegetable fit for all year round. It is made from a premium local variety of Chinese cabbage that features thin leaves, fine texture, and high sugar content. The outer leaves and green parts are removed, and the remaining cabbage is cut into small pieces approximately 1 cm wide and 1.2 cm long. After drying, the pieces are mixed with an appropriate amount of refined salt and mashed garlic, then packed tightly into jars, sealed securely, and left to undergo prolonged natural fermentation. The final product has a golden-yellow color, a fragrant aroma, a slightly sweet aftertaste, and a mildly spicy saltiness. It is also highly nutritious, making it a true specialty of Cangzhou. Cangzhou Winter Vegetable has a long history. According to folklore, it was already well-known during the Ming Dynasty. By the Qing Dynasty, its production scale had expanded, and more varieties became available. Merchants selling the vegetable took advantage of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which runs through Cangzhou, to ship their products by boat—north to Beijing and Tianjin, and south to the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

　　According to the *Cangzhou County Annals*, during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, there were dozens of thriving workshops producing Cangzhou Winter Vegetable both inside and outside the ancient city, with sales reaching both domestic and international markets. In 1936, Cangzhou Winter Vegetable won an award for quality at an international trade fair held in Paris. This vegetable is convenient to use—it can be served as a side dish or enjoyed with alcoholic beverages. When added in small amounts to stir-fries or soups, it enhances the flavor with its aromatic spiciness and stimulates the appetite. Additionally, Cangzhou Winter Vegetable can be processed into distinctive gourmet delicacies. For example, a famous Cangzhou dish called “Stir-Fried Two Winters,” primarily made with Winter Vegetable and winter bamboo shoots, features a subtle interplay of yellow and white hues, a refined color palette, a crisp and tender texture, and a refreshing fragrance. It is highly praised by tourists from both China and abroad.