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Wujiang Zhacai (Preserved Mustard Tuber), Set of 5
$10
A Ready-to-Eat Sichuan Pickle
One of the most beloved of China's vast array of preserved vegetables, zhacai is a pickle made from the tuber of a Chinese mustard. It comes in a range of shapes and flavors; this one is cut in thin strips and is wei la, or mildly spicy flavor. It is a crisp and crunchy pickle that is flavored—lightly—with chilies, spices, sugar and soy sauce.
Zhacai has never met a Sichuan noodle soup or congee it doesn’t love as a topping. It is also eaten as a side pickle with a meal and is used occasionally as a cooking ingredient. Do not confuse it with Sichuan's Yibin yacai, which is a preserved mustard green that is made and tastes completely different (and is the traditional pickle for dan dan noodles).
Long known in the West as "Szechuan preserved vegetable,” the zhacai we historically got in the U.S. was made in Taiwan or Shanghai. It came in a can as a round, knotty tuber covered in chili powder and salt that had to be rinsed and cut before use.
But the historical home of zhacai is the Fuling district of Chongqing, an independent municipality that was previously part of Sichuan. Zhacai from Chongqing usually comes already cut into slices or slivers nowadays and is sold in a range of flavors. It is ready to eat right out of the package and its flavoring definitely should not be rinsed off.
The Wujiang brand traces its history back to zhacai’s 1898 creation. It is a local favorite that has conquered the globe—the company boasts more than 15 billion packs sold worldwide!
Heritage Process
According to imperial records, the cultivation of mustard tuber and its processing into pickled vegetables for household consumption had become widespread within Fuling district as early as the 18th century, and the Fuling zhacai industry was born in 1898.
Chongqing’s Fuling district is located in the heart of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, with a subtropical monsoon climate that is ideal for growing and fermenting qingcaitou, or mustard tuber. Its core processes include wind dehydration, salt pickling, and pressing to remove brine—with the salting and pressing done for three rounds. Zhacai means “pressed vegetable” due to this process. The dehydrated mustard is then mixed with the seasonings and fermented in sealed earthenware jars for about three months.
The Wujiang brand is run by the state-owned Chongqing Fuling Zhacai Group Co., which keeps much of the traditional fermentation process alive while maintaining a large industrial output. It has been fermenting zhacai for more than a century, claiming 1898 as its founding.
The traditional production technique of Fuling zhacai has National Intangible Cultural Heritage status, and the brand has protected Geographic Indication.
Compare To
China is full of preserved and pickled vegetables of distinctly different tastes. Another well-known pickle from Sichuan is yacai, which is made from the stem of a mustard green plant. Here is how the two differ:
While yacai is savory, salty and slightly sweet, zhacai is slightly sour and often spicy.
Yacai is a cooking ingredient, and zhacai is a ready-to-eat condiment.
Yacai is a component of dan dan noodle sauce, and zhacai is often a topping for Sichuan noodles, particularly in its hometown of Chongqing.
Yacai is sometimes prepped by rinsing, zhacai is ready to eat right out of the package.
When buying zhacai, always look for the original from the Fuling district of Chongqing—and avoid the stuff in cans.
Storage
This Zhacai comes packaged in a foil packet and can be stored at room temperature until opened. After opening, we recommend transferring whatever you don’t consume to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerating. Fermented foods keep indefinitely if stored properly in the refrigerator and not cross-contaminated. If storing in the foil packet, then follow the best-by date.
