Dried Mustard Greens (Mei Gan Cai)
豚肉の脂を吸って真っ黒に輝く！江南・客家料理の魂の乾物
Description
Preserved food made by salting, lactic-fermenting, and sun-drying mustard greens until pitch black. Has no plum (Mei) flavor, but features unique fermented tartness and deep umami. Absorbs pork fat to the limit, absolutely essential for steaming with braised pork belly in 'Mei Cai Kou Rou'.
Classification: Everyone, Ingredient, Dry Goods, Preserved Food, Mei Gan Cai, Pork Dishes, Jiangnan Cuisine, Hakka Cuisine
Shops selling Dried Mustard Greens (Mei Gan Cai)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Mustard greens (Jie Cai) etc.
- Salt
Instructions
- [Typical Uses]
- [Mei Cai Kou Rou (Steamed Pork with Preserved Greens)]: Rehydrate, mince, pave under pork belly and steam for hours (super classic banquet dish loved nationwide).
- Fry with minced meat as Chinese bun (Baozi) filling.
- Mix into fried rice.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
Slight fermented tartness and deep umami/roasted aroma akin to Takana
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Substitute by dry-frying JP Takana pickles to evaporate moisture
Pairing
Mei Cai Kou Rou / Minced Pork Stir-fry / White Rice
Trivia
Theories for 'Mei' (Plum) in the name include being dried under plum trees or prepped during plum blooming. Shaoxing City (famous for Shaoxing wine) is a famous producer, known as a flavor loved by writer Lu Xun.
Eating tips & etiquette
Sold in Asian stores as rolled-up dried leaves. Since fine sand easily mixes in during production, the absolute condition is 'massaging and washing' repeatedly in water until no sand drops to the bowl's bottom.
Allergen
None