Long winter vegetables (fermented suāncài)
Mustard greens or cabbage salted and left to ferment in a jar until tangy and crunchy. A living condiment that awakens the gruel and lasts all winter.
Mustard greens or cabbage salted and left to ferment in a jar until tangy and crunchy. A living condiment that awakens the gruel and lasts all winter.
In winter, the mountain gives nothing. But look at this jar: what you buried in it in autumn transforms itself, without you touching it. Salt and time do the work you think you must do. Learn from it: let things ripen, and do not disturb what labors in the dark.
- •Mustard greens or cabbage leaves — a full jar (vegetable to preserve)
- •Salt — generous (fermentation and preservation agent)
- •Ginger and Sichuan peppercorns (huājiāo) — a few (flavor, protection)
Long winter vegetables (fermented suāncài)
Mustard greens or cabbage salted and left to ferment in a jar until tangy and crunchy. A living condiment that awakens the gruel and lasts all winter.
Why this dish? A monastery lives on little and must get through the winters of northern China, where Bodhidharma settled (Mount Song, Shaolin). Lacto-fermentation of vegetables in brine allowed greens to be kept for months and to flavor plain rice: a concrete necessity of frugal monastic life.
In winter, the mountain gives nothing. But look at this jar: what you buried in it in autumn transforms itself, without you touching it. Salt and time do the work you think you must do. Learn from it: let things ripen, and do not disturb what labors in the dark.
Ingredients (period version)
- Mustard greens or cabbage leaves — a full jar (vegetable to preserve)
- Salt — generous (fermentation and preservation agent)
- Ginger and Sichuan peppercorns (huājiāo) — a few (flavor, protection)
Ingredients
- Napa cabbage or mustard greens — 1 kg (base)
- Non-iodized salt — 20 to 25 g (2-2.5% of weight) (brine)
- Ginger — 1 piece, sliced (aroma)
- Sichuan peppercorns (huājiāo) — 1 tsp (distinctive flavor, no New World chili)
- Water (if needed) — to cover (additional brine)
Method
- Wash the cabbage, cut into strips, and massage thoroughly with the salt until it releases its water.
- Add the ginger and Sichuan peppercorns, mix.
- Pack firmly into a clean jar so that the juice covers the vegetables (add a little salted water if necessary); the vegetables must remain submerged.
- Place a weight on top and close without sealing completely (gas must be able to escape).
- Leave to ferment at room temperature for 5 to 10 days, tasting: it is ready when pleasantly tangy. Then store in a cool place.
How it was made : Fermenting vegetables in brine is a very ancient and widespread technique in China, essential for rural and monastic communities before winter. In monasteries, these reserves allowed vegetarianism to be observed year-round while adding variety to the bowl of rice. They used earthenware jars sealed with clay, kept in cool cellars.
The contemporary twist : Drained, finely chopped, and placed in a small dome next to the gruel, like a 'kimchi before kimchi' of the wandering monk.
Bodhidharma · Charactorium