How did Zhacai come about? Who invented it? What is Zhacai made of?

Contents of this article

1. How did Zhacai come about and who invented it?

2. What is Zhacai made of?

3. How to make mustard tuber

How did Zhacai come about and who invented it?

Origin of Zhacai: It is said that during the reign of Emperor Guangxu, there was a businessman named Qiu Shouan in Sichuan who opened a sauce garden and sold Sichuan kohlrabi. But for some reason, his business was very slow. Later, he hired Deng Bangcheng from Zhongxian County, Sichuan, to work as a pickler in his hometown. Deng Bangcheng was very smart. He pickled the plump and tender green cabbage heads into new vegetables. Because this vegetable was air-dried and dehydrated during the pickling process, and the production method of wooden pressing and desalting salt water was used, it became Zhacai. Deng Bangcheng sent this Zhacai to Yichang. Boss Qiu thought this dish was good and held a banquet for people to taste it. After tasting it, everyone praised it. So the sauce garden began to sell Zhacai. As a result, Zhacai was warmly welcomed by the general public as soon as it was on the market. The production process of Zhacai has been passed down since then.

What is mustard made of?

Zhacai, a branch of dicotyledons, belongs to the angiosperms. Most of them are herbaceous plants. Zhacai is a type of mustard, and generally refers to leaf mustard, such as nine-headed mustard, Chinese mustard, pig blood mustard, tofu skin mustard, etc. The raw material of Zhacai is the plump and tender knob-shaped head of a stem mustard. Fresh head can also be used as a side dish, stir-fried with meat or made into soup, but it is more often used for pickling. The head is salted and then squeezed to remove some of the water. Zhacai got its name from this. Then add salt and more than ten kinds of spices and seasonings, such as dried chili powder, pepper, fennel, amomum, pepper, galangal, licorice, cinnamon, white wine, etc., put it into a jar, seal it, and store it in a cool place. Under the condition of being isolated from air, the Zhacai in the jar is first fermented by alcohol, and then by lactic acid fermentation, producing a special sour taste and fragrance, and it becomes the Zhacai sold on the market.

How to make mustard tuber

1. Ingredients: kohlrabi, appropriate amount of salt, appropriate amount of five-spice powder.

2. Method:

1. Remove the leaves and roots of the kohlrabi and wash them for later use.

2. Cut the kohlrabi into Buddha's hand shapes and marinate them with salt for seven days to dehydrate them.

3. Take out the semi-finished pickled mustard tuber, dry it to 60% to 70% in the sun, rub it with your hands to squeeze out the water, and then put it in a jar and pickle it for three days.

4. Take out the semi-finished product and dry it until it is 60% dry, then add five-spice powder and mix well.

5. Finally, put the semi-finished product into the jar and seal it. It can be eaten after one month. You can also eat it whenever you want after one month, but it will be better if you pickle it for a longer time.