Zhuzhou Mixed Pickles 株洲什锦菜

Zhuzhou Mixed Pickles (株洲什锦菜) combine several separately salted vegetables into one pickle mixture. New Hunan (新湖南) describes this Zhuzhou (株洲) household food as crisp and refreshing, blending locally available ingredients with northern and southern flavours.

Vegetables in the mixture

The selection includes radish, carrot, garlic, green chillies, vegetable melon, ginger, large-root mustard and Chinese scallion bulbs. Winter and spring radishes are preferred, along with thin-skinned red-fleshed carrots, white garlic cloves and horn-shaped green chillies. Each vegetable is first pickled separately, retaining its own colour, aroma and crispness.

Mixing the prepared pickles

The pickled vegetables are cut into shreds or slices and mixed together. Rinsing removes some salt, then four hours of pressing removes part of the water. The pressed mixture is loosened into a jar and mixed with additional seasonings. It rests for another two or three days so the seasoning can penetrate the vegetables.