Suan cai

Suan cai
A tub of Suan cai made from Chinese mustard.
Chinese
Hanyu Pinyin	suān cài
Literal meaning	sour vegetable
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin suān cài Wade–Giles suan1-ts'ai4 other Mandarin Dungan Сўан цаы Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization syūn choi Jyutping syun1 coi3
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese
Literal meaning	salted vegetable
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Wade–Giles hsien2-ts'ai4 other Mandarin Dungan Щыән цаы Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization hàahm choi Southern Min Hokkien POJ kiâm-chhài

Suan cai (also called suan tsai and Chinese sauerkraut; literally "sour vegetable") is a traditional Chinese pickled Chinese cabbage, used for a variety of purposes. Suan cai is a unique form of pao cai, due to the ingredients used and the method of production.

An alternative name for suan cai is xian cai (hsien tsai; literally "salted vegetable").

Two distinct types of suan cai are found in China:

Production of suan cai differs from other pao cai in that the vegetable is compressed. This is accomplished by placing a heavy weight such as a large rock on top of the cover of the container so that the Chinese cabbage inside the container is slowly pressed and fermented. The processing of the vegetable helps to create a distinct flavor.

Suan cai is often used in cooking with meat, especially pork. It is said to neutralize the grease of meat.

In Chinese Islamic cuisine, suan cai can top off noodle soups, especially beef noodle soup.

In Hunan, suan cai is frequently made with ginger and chilies (typical of Hunan cuisine).

In Cantonese cuisine, it is served in a small dish, often as an appetizer, and usually free. Sometimes it can be available in mini-containers on the dining table. There are also Cantonese variations such as salted suan cai (鹹酸菜).

In Northeastern Chinese cuisine, suan cai is made from napa cabbage or head cabbage and has a taste similar to sauerkraut. As part of the cuisine in Manchuria, it is used with dumplings and boiled, or stir fried. More frequently, saun cai is used to make suan cai and pork stew.

In hot pot cuisine, it is often one of the ingredients.