Chinese Pickles History and Types

Chinese Pickles represent an important part of their cuisine. Fermented vegetables or fruits are present in many variations because traditionally Chinese don’t eat raw fruits. They prefer to eat them cooked, boiled and prepared in many other ways because many reasons, most notable one that digestion is easier if food is little processed. Pickled food in China is made by submerging and fermenting fruits and vegetables in salt or brine, or alternatively, marinating in mixtures of sauces or pastes (soy sauce or savory bean paste). It is very common to submerge vegetables and fruits into pickling process together with wide variety of medicinal herbs and many other ingredients (even wines).

List of most popular fermented pickled food in China – Meigan cai, Suan cai, La bai cai, Tianjin preserved vegetable, Prunus mume, Zha cai and Gong cai.

List of most popular marinated vegetables in China – Pao cai, Chinese Cucumbers, Radishes, Daikon, Bitter melon Garlic

It is important to notice that modern medicine and science does not recommend to people to include many pickled foods in their daily diets. Some researchers have shown that pickled food can increase chances or cancer, and even World Health Organization has listed pickled vegetables as potentially carcinogens. Also, pickled food can very easily get infested with various forms of fungus, which can even more increase carcinogenic potency of such foods.