Huangguan Pickled Vegetables

Huangguan Pickled Vegetables

　　The production technique of Huangguan Pickled Vegetables has a long history, boasting a unique flavor that appeals to both southern and northern palates. Over the course of a thousand years, the craft has been gradually refined, absorbing flavors from both regions. Its taste is similar to Sichuan cuisine but milder, representing a distinctive Ba-Shu flavor.

　　　　Distribution Area:

　　　　Huangguan Pickled Vegetables are inseparable from the regional culture of Huangguan Town, having developed an irreplaceable character. Processing them elsewhere using the same methods fails to achieve their distinctive flavor. This is mainly due to the unique regional features of Huangguan Town, which features numerous low hills and rivers, with annual precipitation and air humidity both higher than surrounding areas, along with exceptionally good water quality. Both surface water and river water here can serve as high-quality drinking water.

　　　　The ancestors of Huangguan Town residents were mostly migrants during the Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. Processing pickled vegetables was a way to address the shortage of vegetables in winter. To this day, Huangguan people maintain a relatively refined diet and continue to preserve the lifestyle customs of southern people. Every rural household in Huangguan Town has its own vegetable jar for self-processing and consumption, though processing techniques vary. These vegetables are primarily distributed in villages within Huangguan Town such as Heba, Shuijing, Qinglong, and Gaoshipan, making them representative among the rural specialty products of Hanzhong City.

　　　　Historical Origins:

　　　　Huangguan Town has a long history, with the formation of the ancient town dating back over a thousand years. During the Northern Song Dynasty, to the west of the town at Shangmashi, there was a Yellow-clan “Heavenly Official” known as “Huang Tian Guan,” who served as a top-ranking civil official in the imperial court. He was highly capable, extremely loyal, and steadfast in safeguarding the rule of the Zhao family’s Song Dynasty. During the Northern Song Dynasty, since founding emperor Zhao Kuangyin established the Song Dynasty by usurping the Later Zhou regime, the central government did not appoint a prime minister—power was concentrated in the hands of the emperor alone. Thus, the position of “Heavenly Official” was the highest rank in civil service. Huangguan Town houses sites such as “Nanhua Palace” and “Nanqing Palace,” which were residences for these heavenly officials, with ruins still extant today. It is evident that the name of Huangguan originates from this.

　　　　Legend has it that in the late Northern Song Dynasty, rebel forces came to Huangguan. In order to break the feng shui energy of the “Huang Tian Guan” ancestral home, they severed a mountain pass behind the old house. To this day, this mountain is still called “Zhanlongya” (Dragon-Slaying Pass).

　　　　The formation of Huangguan Ancient Town has a long history. Due to inconvenient transportation, market days originally fell on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th of each month, but were later changed to every other day. On market days, the town would be packed with people, with even border residents from Sichuan, hundreds of miles away, coming to trade. After the reform and opening-up, with improved transportation and a growing population, a daytime market naturally formed.

　　　　Most residents of Huangguan are descendants of migrants from the Ming Dynasty or early Qing Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, there were two large-scale government-forced migrations, known as “Huguang Filling Sichuan” and “Sichuan Filling Shaanxi.” Most migrants to Huangguan came from Dazu, Yuechi, Guang’an, and Yilong in Sichuan Province. However, their ancestors could be traced back to Macheng and Xiaogan areas in Hubei Province. To this day, one can determine whether someone is an original resident or a migrant by observing the custom of “Ghost Festival.” Locals celebrate Ghost Festival on the first day of the tenth lunar month, while migrants observe it on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month.

　　　　The regional culture of Huangguan contains a strong element of migrant culture. Huangguan people are never xenophobic or jealous of others, exhibiting a spirit of inclusiveness.

　　　　Most migrants moved from the south to the north and had to adapt to a new way of life. To solve the problem of winter vegetables, they began processing and pickling fresh vegetables in summer and autumn for storage and winter consumption. The migrants also brought with them the craftsmanship of making coarse pottery, solving the issue of salted vegetable storage. At that time, it became fashionable for rural households to process pickled vegetables, and they would even compete to see whose pickled vegetables were more fragrant and delicious. To showcase the skill of the housewife, when a daughter got married, a box of pickled vegetables would be included in her dowry. On the wedding night, the newlyweds would eat a shared meal that must include pickled vegetables. On the morning after the wedding, the dowry pickled vegetables were used to entertain neighbors, relatives, and the bride’s family, locally referred to as “serving tea.” Over the past hundred years, Huangguan Pickled Vegetables have been used as gifts for relatives, friends, and superiors, earning widespread praise in society.

　　Ingredients and Production:

　　 Huangguan Pickled Vegetables can be made from various wild or fresh vegetables, such as wild toon sprouts, houttuynia cordata, wild onions, leafy greens, cabbage, cowpeas, potatoes, bitter melon, radishes, green chili peppers, green beans, etc. The basic production principles are similar, but the procedures and seasonings differ depending on the type of fresh vegetable. Natural sun-drying is used so that moisture is removed while the original juice and nutrients are retained in the pickled vegetables. Salt is added in two stages—blanching and pickling—depending on the variety. Salt is used both to preserve the vegetables and to season them appropriately, without making them too salty. Mastering all the key points ensures that the pickled vegetables made from any type of fresh vegetable are rich in aroma. They can be stir-fried, steamed, used in soups, or eaten directly.

　　　　There are long and short versions of pickled vegetables. Long pickled vegetables are not cut with a knife, preserving the original form of the vegetables. For example, toon sprouts, leafy greens, and cowpeas are tied into small bundles with palm leaves, then wrapped in prepared dried lotus leaves, and stored in jars for a month. Once opened, the fragrance is overwhelming, and the taste is unforgettable.

　　　　There are two essential conditions for making pickled vegetables: first, clean and sweet washing water, and second, pickled vegetable jars fired by experienced artisans. The requirements for the jars are extremely strict—they must be airtight, with good sealing achieved by adding water to the jar rim, and no water should be left inside the jar to avoid spoilage. During processing, if it rains, the vegetables can be placed in the jars and sun-dried once the weather clears. There are two types of pickled vegetable jars: one is convenient to use with upper and lower water seals, featuring five small plum blossom-shaped holes at the bottom of the jar. This type only requires cleaning the upper and lower rims, and the contents will not spoil. The other type is an inverted jar, sealed upside down, but cleaning the rim and retrieving the vegetables is more troublesome.

　　　　For sun-drying, natural stone slabs are best, though bamboo, wood, or open cloth can also be used.