In Sichuan, a bowl of rice often comes with a small plate of pickled or preserved vegetables. Crunchy radishes, crisp cabbage, sour Chinese long beans, young ginger, fiery pickled chilis, or salty, savory zhacai (preserved mustard stem). Some are lightly salted, others intensely sour, often with the fragrance of Sichuan pepper and other spices.
Many of these fermented vegetables are known as Sichuan paocai (四川泡菜). They're soaked in a fragrant salt brine, where they develop their sourness naturally through fermentation rather than added vinegar, while staying crisp and crunchy.
Some are eaten straight from the jar with rice or breakfast porridge. Others, especially pickled chilis and mustard greens, are chopped into stir-fries or added to fish soups. Every family has its own recipe, and some keep the same brine going for years. Sichuan food creator Cookingbomb even has a pickle jar that's nearly 20 years old.
What Is Sichuan Paocai?
Paocai (泡菜) literally means "soaked vegetables." Unlike vinegar pickling, paocai gets its sourness from lactic acid fermentation, the same process used to make kimchi and sauerkraut.
Naturally occurring bacteria feed on sugars in the vegetables, producing lactic acid. A scientific study of paocai fermentation found Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Weissella cibaria early in fermentation, followed by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, which often dominates later.
These bacteria play different roles. Early bacteria help develop flavor and aroma, while later bacteria produce more acid, making the vegetables increasingly sour. Salt and low-oxygen conditions help keep unwanted microbes from developing.
What Goes Into Sichuan Paocai Brine?
Water and salt are the essentials. The rest varies from household to household.
The saltwater is usually boiled, then cooled completely before adding vegetables and spices. Boiling helps reduce unwanted microorganisms in the water.
In The Food of Sichuan, Fuchsia Dunlop describes a traditional brine made with salt, strong baijiu (Chinese grain liquor), brown or rock sugar (bingtang, 冰糖), fresh ginger, red chilis, and whole Sichuan pepper.
Some cooks also add garlic, star anise, cassia bark, cloves, or fennel seeds. These spices add fragrance but shouldn't overpower the vegetables. Rock sugar adds sweetness, while baijiu is traditionally used to help keep the brine clean, though neither replaces proper salt levels and acidity.
Image: Some ingredients used to flavor Sichuan paocai brine. Clockwise from top left: rock sugar, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, cassia bark, and Sichuan pepper.
One unusual addition is dingding tang (丁丁糖), a traditional maltose candy. In episode one of The People's Republic of Fermentation, an eight-part documentary about Chinese fermented foods, Sandor Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation, visits Mrs. Ding in Chengdu. She calls it her secret to good paocai brine. Katz later shared her recipe in Fermentation Journeys.
Why Add Sichuan Pepper?
Sichuan pepper, or huajiao (花椒), is one of the key spices in traditional Sichuan paocai. Whole Sichuan pepper adds a bright, citrusy fragrance to the sour, salty brine, along with its distinctive tingling sensation.
Red Sichuan pepper brings warm, floral notes reminiscent of orange peel, while green Sichuan pepper is sharper and more lemony. Both give the pickles a distinctly Sichuan flavor without adding chili heat.
Image: 50Hertz Dried Red Sichuan Pepper adds warm, floral, and citrusy notes to traditional Sichuan paocai brine.
Its fragrance comes partly from aromatic compounds such as linalool and limonene, also found in citrus fruits. Research on Sichuan pepper's aroma helps explain its floral and citrusy smell.
Although Sichuan pepper extracts have shown antimicrobial activity in laboratory studies, the spice is used in paocai mainly for flavor, not as a substitute for safe fermentation.
Which Vegetables Are Best, and How Are They Eaten?
Image: Fresh vegetables used to make Sichuan paocai, including radishes, cabbage, carrots, Chinese long beans, and chilis. Photo: 什么值得买 (SMZDM).
Daikon and pink radishes stay juicy and crunchy. Cabbage absorbs the brine quickly, while carrots, cauliflower, celery, and young ginger also work well. Chinese long beans become pleasantly sour and are excellent stir-fried with minced pork.
Try pickling just a few vegetables at a time, preferably with similar fermentation times. Strongly flavored mustard greens are best kept separate so they don't overpower the others.
How long the vegetables stay in the brine depends on how they're going to be eaten.
Some spend only a few hours or a day or two in mature brine. These are xizao paocai (洗澡泡菜), or "shower pickles," also called tiaoshui paocai (跳水泡菜), or "diving pickles." They're lightly sour and usually served as side dishes.
Others are fermented longer for a stronger sour flavor. Pickled mustard greens go into fish soups, while pickled ginger adds flavor to stir-fries and sauces. Both lightly and deeply fermented pickles can accompany rice or breakfast porridge.
Pickled Chilis in Sichuan Cooking
Pickled chilis, or pao lajiao (泡辣椒), are among Sichuan's most important cooking seasonings. It’s an essential ingredient to make the yuxiang Fish Fragrant (鱼香) flavor in Sichuan cooking.
Long red erjingtiao (二荆条) chilis are prized for their fragrance, color, and moderate heat. Small, pale green yeshanjiao (野山椒), or wild mountain chilis, are much hotter and often used in dishes such as pickled-chili chicken feet.
According to Fuchsia Dunlop, an old preparation called pao yu lajiao (泡鱼辣椒), or "fish-pickled chilis," involved fermenting red chilis with small crucian carp. Some link this practice to the origins of yuxiang (鱼香), Sichuan's fish-fragrant flavor, although the connection remains disputed.
Modern fish-fragrant dishes usually contain no fish. Instead, pickled red chilis, ginger, garlic, scallions, sugar, and vinegar give them their familiar flavor.
How to Make Sichuan Paocai at Home
Image: Sichuan paocai made with different vegetables in traditional water-sealed jars. Photo: The Mala Market, which also offers a detailed step-by-step guide to making your own paocai.
Start with fresh radishes or cabbage and a clean, food-grade fermentation jar. Follow a reliable recipe for the amount of salt: boil the saltwater, cool it completely, then add the vegetables and aromatics. Keep everything below the brine and maintain the water seal.
For quantities, fermentation times, and detailed instructions, see The Mala Market's and A Day With Mei’s step-by-step guide to making Sichuan paocai. Cooking Bomb also does detailed video instructions.
The Traditional Pickle Jar and Old Brine
The traditional paocai tanzi (泡菜坛子) is a rounded ceramic or glass jar, often teardrop-shaped, with a water-filled channel around its neck. An upside-down bowl-shaped lid forms a water seal, allowing fermentation gases to escape while limiting outside air.
The jar is opened regularly to remove pickles and add fresh vegetables. Keeping everything submerged, replacing the lid promptly, and maintaining the water seal help limit oxygen exposure.
A mature brine, called lao yanshui (老盐水), contains analready established community of fermentation bacteria. Rather than discarding it, families replenish it with saltwater, fresh vegetables, and seasonings. Some keep their brine for years.
Traditional rules include keeping oily or dirty utensils out, making sure vegetables stay submerged, and maintaining the water seal. Garlic and baijiu are sometimes believed to help preserve the brine, but neither replaces proper salt levels, acidity, and cleanliness.
For practical advice, see The Mala Market's guide to maintaining paocai brine.
Why Paocai Is a Sichuan Staple
Paocai may be served in a small dish, but it has many uses in Sichuan cooking. Crisp radishes go with breakfast porridge, sour long beans are stir-fried with pork, and pickled chilis add flavor to countless dishes.
That's why so many families keep a jar at home. With a little care, the same brine can provide fresh batches of pickles for everyday meals and a steady supply of ingredients for cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Sichuan paocai?
Vegetable pickling has a long history in China, dating back thousands of years. The ancient Book of Songs describes gourds being peeled and preserved as zu (菹), an early form of pickling.
These ancient references don't necessarily mean Sichuan paocai existed in its present form. By the Qing dynasty, however, Sichuan paocai was described in culinary writings, and some families in southern and northern Sichuan even included paocai in bridal dowries.
In 2010, Sichuan paocai received official agricultural geographical indication registration.
How is paocai different from other Chinese preserved vegetables?
Suancai (酸菜) means "sour vegetables," usually fermented cabbage in northern China or mustard greens in Sichuan. Sichuan suancai can also be a type of paocai.
Zhacai (榨菜) is salted, pressed mustard stem. Yibin yacai (芽菜) is preserved tender mustard stems, commonly used in dan dan noodles. Dongcai (冬菜) is dried, salted mustard greens, while datoucai (大头菜) is preserved mustard root.
Unlike paocai, which ferments in brine, these vegetables are often preserved through salting, drying, or pressing.
How can you tell if paocai has gone bad?
Cloudy brine, bubbles, and a pleasantly sour smell can be normal. Fuzzy mold, rotten odors, or slimy, decomposing vegetables are warning signs. Discard questionable batches without tasting them.
Use fresh vegetables, measured salt, and clean equipment. Keep everything submerged and monitor acidity. University of Minnesota Extension recommends a pH of 4.6 or below and completed fermentation before the vegetables are ready. Quick shower pickles should be refrigerated, not treated as shelf-stable.
Is Sichuan paocai healthy?
Yes, Sichuan paocai is rich in vegetable fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fermentation produces beneficial organic acids and other bioactive compounds, while fresh, unpasteurized paocai contains live lactic acid bacteria that may support gut health. Research on fermented foods also suggests potential benefits for gut microbial diversity and inflammation.
Because paocai can be high in sodium, it's best enjoyed in moderation.
For more on Sichuan pepper itself, read our article on the potential health benefits of Sichuan pepper.
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