Sweet preserved mustard greens
The sweet one of the two: salted, then steamed and sun-dried three times over, until it is almost black and tastes faintly sweet rather than sharply salty. 梅菜扣肉, 梅菜蒸肉餅 and steamed fish with 梅菜 all want this one. The salty kind is never steamed, takes far more salt, and is a different bag — do not buy it by mistake. It still needs soaking and washing.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet、salty Meridians · spleen、stomach
Traditional food therapy
The tradition holds that it opens the appetite and cuts richness, which is why it sits under fatty meat.
Cautions: read first
- High in sodium even after soaking.
- Pickled vegetables carry nitrites; not an everyday dish.
Preparation
Soak for at least half an hour, rub and rinse repeatedly until no grit is left, squeeze dry and chop.
Origin
Huizhou in Guangdong is the old district for the sweet kind. Bagged at Australian Asian grocers, next to the salty kind — read the packet for 甜 or 鹹
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
