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Zha Cai

Pickled Sichuan mustard stem, salty and crunchy.

Zha Cai — illustrative ingredient image

About Zha Cai

Zha cai is the pickled, swollen stem of a Sichuan mustard plant. It is a salty, crunchy ingredient in Chinese cooking, served alongside rice or added to soups, noodles, stir-fries, fried rice, dumpling fillings, and minced-meat dishes.

Its characteristic flavour is salty, savoury, and mildly tangy, with a firm, crisp bite. Fermentation and pickling can add a subtle mustardy or earthy aroma. Salt level and firmness vary with the product and with whether it has been rinsed, soaked, or cooked.

Zha cai may be sold as a whole preserved stem, chunks, slices, or shreds, commonly in a sealed can, jar, or pouch. It is often sliced or julienned before use. Rinsing or soaking reduces salt, while cooking softens the texture and blends its flavour into the surrounding dish.

Ingredient type
compound ingredient

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Where zha cai appears

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Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for zha cai

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Zha cai

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Zha Cai nutrition & diet

Zha Cai nutritional value

Reference: Stem mustard, pickles

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
20kcal
Protein
2.5g
Carbs
4.6g
Fat
0.1g

Official national food-composition reference. The displayed food form is part of the estimate; cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Establish whether zha cai means pickled Sichuan mustard stem, and match the reference to the edible stem after its stated pickling treatment. Portion and rinsing or soaking practices matter because preparation can alter the seasoning carried into a dish; sliced, shredded, and packaged versions may differ.

Compare the right form: Reference pickled Sichuan mustard stem, including its preserved, salted, rinsed, or ready-to-eat form; do not substitute fresh mustard greens or another pickle.

Diet considerations

Zha cai is plant-derived when it contains only mustard stem and pickling ingredients. Compatibility changes if a packaged product includes animal-derived flavourings, chilli mixtures, oils, or other additives. It is usually an accompaniment or garnish; serving it with noodles, rice, or other cereal foods determines the broader portion-dependent carbohydrate pattern.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan 2023, corrected March 2026 — 06088 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .