Pickled vegetables

Pickled vegetables

　　Pickled vegetables

　　　Pickled vegetables are a traditional dietary staple among the people of Jiange. Whether in urban or rural areas, young or old, even as living standards have improved, many still enjoy eating pickled vegetables. Many people feel their appetite wane if they go without pickled vegetables for just a few days. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, every rural household kept pickled vegetables, and there was a saying: “A grain jar, a flour jar — neither compares to a pickle jar.” After the founding of the PRC, as living standards improved, people continued to eat pickled vegetables with their meals, so they were still sold in markets. There are two types of pickled vegetables: fresh (or wet) pickled vegetables and dried pickled vegetables. Fresh pickled vegetables are made using high-quality greens, or alternatively Chinese cabbage, radish greens, or tender rape seedling leaves. These are washed, chopped, and boiled until about 80–90% cooked, then scooped into a jar, pressed down tightly, and covered with a layer of old pickled vegetables. The jar is sealed and left until the next day when the color turns yellow and they are ready to eat. If left in the jar for a longer time (half a month or a month), the liquid from the pickled vegetables seeps out, forming a slippery brine. Dried pickled vegetables are made by taking the pickled greens after fermentation, then drying them in the sun. When ready to eat, they are soaked in hot water before cooking. There are many ways to eat pickled vegetables — for example, mixed with congee it’s called pickled vegetable congee. Similar dishes include pickled vegetable rice, pickled vegetable noodles, pickled vegetable “stirred porridge” (a cornmeal paste mixed with pickled vegetables), and pickled vegetable soup.