Songyang Eight-Treasure Pickles

Songyang Eight-Treasure Pickles

　　During the Spring Festival, every household in Songyang prepares Eight-Treasure Pickles. This dish primarily consists of shredded red and white radishes, combined with pickled radish shreds, dried tofu, pickled Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, shredded winter bamboo shoots, shredded fried tofu, shredded kelp, and more—eight ingredients in total. These are stir-fried in vegetable oil to make a single dish, hence the name “Eight-Treasure Pickles.” Since people tend to eat more rich, greasy meat dishes during the Spring Festival, the Eight-Treasure Pickles help with digestion and stimulate the appetite. Additionally, eating “Eight-Treasure Pickles” during the New Year symbolizes family and neighborhood harmony, prosperity in all things, and treasures arriving from all directions.