Jishou Vinegar Radish

Jishou Vinegar Radish

　　Jishou vinegar radish isn’t made by soaking radishes in vinegar, but rather by soaking red radishes in a specially prepared sour brine. This brine is a unique secret recipe that can’t be casually shared; as a result, across the entire Xiangxi region, there may only be a few places where the vinegar radish is truly delicious. The radish must be a red one. The radish is cut into thin slices and soaked in the sour brine overnight, and it’s ready to eat the next day. It shouldn’t be soaked for too long, or it won’t taste good. Another very important element is the chili oil. Usually, chili peppers from other regions are ground into powder by machine. But in Jishou, the chili peppers are manually pounded into powder using a stone mortar; then hot oil is poured over them, and some seasonings are added. Hmm... incredibly delicious. Put the two together, and that’s when you get true flavor. Nowadays, people in Jishou have started using the sour brine to soak other fruits or vegetables as well. I once tried some pickled apples, and they were delicious.