走向全世界的涪陵榨菜 The tasty Chinese pickled vegetable

Chef Liu Chong cuts(切 qiè) pickle as he prepares(准备 zhǔnbèi) a dish at a restaurant in southwest China's Chongqing, March 22, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua]

Fuling(涪陵) district in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality is China's leading(主要的 zhǔyào de) producer of pickled mustard tubers. Fuling pickles(榨菜 zhàcài) have been exported(出口 chūkǒu) to more than 50 countries and regions, including Russia, Japan, Singapore and South Africa. The food ranks alongside Europe's pickled cucumber and Germany's sauerkraut as one of the world's three most famous(著名的 zhùmíng de) pickled dishes.

Farmers harvest stem mustard in Guangfu Village of Fuling District in southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 21, 2019.[Photo: Xinhua]

Aerial photo shows a vehicle carrying stem mustard running along a path in Guangfu Village of Fuling District in southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 21, 2019.[Photo: Xinhua]

The pickles have actually helped generate an entire(整个的 zhěnggè de) industry(工业 gōngyè) in Fuling. Statistics show more than 60,000 local farmers(农民 nóngmín) are involved in planting(种植 zhòngzhí) stem mustard. In 2017, 1.6 million tons of stem mustard were produced, which yielded over 9 billion yuan ($1.3 billion) in pickle products(产品 chǎnpǐn).

Aerial photo shows workers dehydrating stem mustard, the material for Fuling Pckle, by hanging them on racks in Fuling District of southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 21, 2019.[Photo: Xinhua]

Women cut stem mustard to produce pickle at a workshop in southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 22, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua]

Li Wenlin (1st R), an inheritor of the national level intangible cultural heritage Fuling pickle, and his assistant process ingredients(调料 tiáoliào) at a workshop in Chongqing, southwest China, Feb. 22, 2019.[Photo: Xinhua/Lan Hongguang]

The production process(过程 guòchéng) remains simple. Farmers first harvest(收获 shōuhuò) stem mustard, the raw material(原材料 yuáncáiliào) for the pickle, before dehydrating, salting and then fermenting it in jars.

A worker checks(检查 jiǎnchá) pickle jars at a production workshop in Fuling, Chongqing, Feb 21, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

A woman works at a production line(生产线 shēngchǎnxiàn) of Fuling pickle in southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 22, 2019. [Photo: Xinhuag]

重点词汇 Key word:

菜 <名词 n.>

• Vegetable; greens
  E.g. Mǎlù liǎngbiān bǎi mǎn le cài tān.
  马路两边摆满了菜摊。
  The road was lined with vegetable stand.

• Dish; Course
  E.g. Nǐ juédé zhè dào cài zěnmeyàng?
  你觉得这道菜怎么样?
  How do you like this dish?