Huaiyang Sauce-Cured Cattail Shoots 淮阳酱蒲菜

Huaiyang Sauce-Cured Cattail Shoots (淮阳酱蒲菜) are a preserved vegetable associated with the lakes around Huaiyang (淮阳) in Zhoukou (周口). The edible portion is the peeled underwater stem of the cattail, cured in sweet flour paste until it develops a pronounced fermented-sauce aroma.

From the lake

Cattails grow in waterlogged ground, with their stems extending beneath the water or into the mud. Zhoukou Daily describes Huaiyang’s city lake as particularly suitable for the plant because of its deep, fertile sediment. Once peeled, the fresh edible stems are pale, crisp and sweet, without stringy fibres.

Preserving a seasonal vegetable

Zhoukou Daily traces the sauce-cured preparation to a cook working for Yuan Shoushan (袁寿山), a relative of Yuan Shikai (袁世凯) who lived in Huaiyang. To keep cattail available throughout the year, the cook placed peeled stems in sweet flour paste. After several months they remained crisp and sweet, with a strong sauce fragrance. The newspaper says local pickle workshops, including Meifuzhai (美馥斋) and Simeizhai (四美斋), subsequently adopted the method.