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Mei Gan Cai | Local Preserved Cabbage From China, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Mei Gan Cai | Local Preserved Cabbage From China, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Mei Gan Cai | Local Preserved Cabbage From China, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Mei Gan Cai | Local Preserved Cabbage From China, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Mei Gan Cai | Local Preserved Cabbage From China, East Asia | TasteAtlas
Mei Gan Cai | Local Preserved Cabbage From China, East Asia | TasteAtlas

Mei gan cai

(Meigan cai, Mei cai, 梅干菜, 霉乾菜, 梅菜, 霉菜)

One of the most prized ingredients in the common red-braised dishes in central and southern China, mei gan cai is a type of dried pickle made with either Chinese cabbage or mustard greens that have undergone quite an elaborate production process that takes several weeks.


Once they are harvested, the vegetables are sun-dried, salted, fermented, steamed, and finally dried again. However, preserved like that, mei gan cai can be kept for years without deterioration. Given the various stages of drying, brining, and fermenting, this Chinese dried pickle tastes uniquely complex, while its flavor imparts a pronounced savory-herbaceous note to the sweet soy sauce-braised dishes.


Before use, mei gan cai needs to be shortly rehydrated in water, and a mere handful added to any braised dish will be enough to deliver a serious kick of umami to your meal.