Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Vegetables · Pickles

Ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens)

Finely chopped Sichuan mustard-green stems preserved with salt and brown sugar; the savoury crumb in dan dan noodles.

Also called: yacai, yibin ya cai, sui mi ya cai, preserved mustard greens, sichuan preserved vegetable

Around the world: 芽菜, 碎米芽菜 (zh)

A kind of mustard greens

2 recipes with it

What it is

A speciality of Yibin in Sichuan: the stems of a mustard plant are salted, dried, then fermented with brown sugar and spices, giving dark, moist, sweet-salty shreds. It is sold in small vacuum packs, often labelled 'sui mi ya cai'.

How it’s used

  • Fried with minced pork for dan dan noodles
  • Stir-fried with dry-fried green beans
  • Steamed under pork belly (shao bai)

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet, salty and deeply savoury.
Texture
Fine, moist, slightly crunchy shreds.
Sold as
chopped, fermented
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning
Common in
Chinese, Sichuan

Storage

Refrigerated. Once opened, keep sealed in the fridge for several months.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
27 kcal
Protein
2.86 g
Carbohydrate
4.67 g
Fat
0.42 g
Fibre
3.2 g
Sugars
1.32 g

USDA FoodData Central: Mustard greens, raw (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Kimchi — Squeezed and finely chopped, for a sour-salty crunch; flavour is different.

Related ingredients

Recipes with ya cai (sichuan preserved mustard greens)

More pickles