Mei Cai (梅菜) — Shaoxing Preserved Mustard Greens: The Umami Amplifier

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Mei cai (梅菜, also known as meicai, dried plum vegetables, or Shaoxing preserved vegetables) are the sun-dried, salted, and lightly fermented mustard greens that are one of the most important preserved ingredients in Jiangnan and Cantonese cooking. Made in Shaoxing by salting fresh mustard greens (or amaranth), allowing them to ferment briefly, then pressing and sun-drying them until shrivelled and intensely concentrated. The resulting mei cai has a complex savouriness with sweet, slightly fermented notes and a concentrated umami depth far beyond fresh vegetables. They are the essential partner to Dongpo pork (mei cai kou rou) and are used in clay pot preparations, steamed pork, and as a filling for baozi.

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