Preserved turnipis a famous local dish in the Hakka region, renowned both at home and abroad.In late autumn to early winter,mustard greenssprout stems about as thick as your thumb, topped with flower buds, resembling grapes, crispy and sweet.At this time, village women gatherheart leaves(about 5 inches long),let them dry for a few days until the leaves become soft.Then they are placed in a basin, salt is sprinkled over them, and they are rubbed by hand until some juice oozes out.At this point, they are packed into earthenware jars with layers of salt between each layer.After half a month to twenty days, the preserved turnips are taken out to dry, resulting in golden-yellow, salty-sour and sweet turnips.

Molded dried vegetables come in different types such as mustard greens,mustardgreens, and Chinese cabbage.Most of them are made at home by hanging the leaves to dry, stacking them until they mold, adding salt for fermentation, and then drying them under the sun before packing them into jars.Molded dried vegetables have a lustrous yellow-brown color, with an appealing aroma that refreshes, purifies the body, digests food, treats coughs, promotes appetite, and is beloved by residents of Shaoxing during summer heat. "Molded preserved turnip and meat" has become a signature dish in Shaoxing, featured in The Chinese Cookbook.Molded dried vegetables are famous local products with a long history in Shaoxing.

Most households in Shaoxing make them themselves for daily consumption or as gifts to friends and relatives.Records from The Convenience of the Yuezhou region mention: "(Molded dried vegetables) including mustard greens,mustardgreens, and Chinese cabbage.Mustard has a fresh taste, mustard greens are mild in nature, and Chinese cabbage is tender. These are used to cook duck or meat with unique flavors, which Shaoxing residents mostly make themselves."This shows how widespread the production of molded dried vegetables was in that era.During the Qing dynasty, molded dried vegetables were one of the eight imperial tribute products from Shaoxing.They were packed in small jars using gold and silver threads to secure them, after which they were salted, left to ferment until the brine receded, then exposed to sun and steamed multiple times for a deep red color and strong aroma before being sealed in ornate jars.According to elderly residents who made imperial tribute products, these meticulously prepared dried vegetables were supervised by the Shaoxing governor and county officials. Each year, only about one thousand kilograms were produced, with yellow seals on their jars to ensure secure transport to Beijing.It is said that Emperor Qianlong visited Shaoxing six times during his southern tours and always enjoyed dishes made from these tribute vegetables and at the market stalls.Today, almost every household in Shaoxing makes and stores molded dried vegetables throughout the year. Annual production exceeds 250 tons and is exported to countries worldwide.Molded dried vegetables have a rich luster and strong aroma, are easy to store, and mainly include three varieties: large-leaf mustard, flower leaf mustard, and snow cabbage.Mustard contains sulfur glycosides,proteinsand minerals.After hydrolysis of sulfur glycosides, volatile substances like mustard oil are produced; after protein breakdown into amino acids, the processed preserved vegetables have unique aromas and delicious flavors.

During processing, freshly harvested vegetables are cleaned, dried for one day, and then piled in a cool place for four to five days. The pile height does not exceed 50 centimeters, with daily flipping to prevent heat buildup and spoilage. Once the leaves turn yellow-green, every hundred kilograms of fresh vegetables are mixed with three kilograms of salt, layered and packed while pressed to extract juice.If insufficient juice is produced, pressing can be repeated after a day until sufficient liquid is achieved.When the brine bubbles and the color turns bright green, the vegetables are sun-dried for storage.After processing but before drying, the fresh-salinated vegetables have yellowish lustrous colors, rich aromas, and tender texture. They contain 0.15% amino acids, 0.34% total sugars, and 0.25% total nitrogen per hundred grams, with calcium at 250 mg, phosphorus at 31 mg, iron at 3.1 mg, and vitamin B at 0.04 mg.After drying, the moldy dried vegetables turn a brownish color with unique vegetable aromas."Long hanging" refers to whole mustard plants that are dried after salting, while "short hanging" is made from chopped mustard leaves.Molded dried vegetables can be steamed, stir-fried in oil, or used in soups. They are known for their ability to relieve heatiness and purify the body, enhancing appetite."Molded preserved turnip and meat" is a classic Shaoxing dish included in The Chinese Cookbook.Lu Xun and Zhou Enlai both enjoyed this hometown delicacy during their lifetimes."Molded preserved turnip and meat" received praise from many international guests, including President Nixon of the United States. During his 1972 visit to China, he tasted "molded preserved turnip and meat" at Hangzhou's Louxian Pavilion restaurant and said "OK!" several times.The traditional method involves selecting high-quality mustard greens, cutting them into one-inch strips, cleaning the meat, slicing it (preferably with a layer of fat) and mixing in mother sauce, monosodium glutamate. After marinating until well-absorbed, layer the vegetables and meat alternately in a steamer and steam for about an hour.The meat becomes tender while retaining the fragrance of the dried vegetables; it is soft yet not greasy to eat, with shiny and fresh vegetables that are neither too salty nor oily. It pairs wonderfully with rice.Molded preserved turnip combined with bamboo shoots makes "dried vegetable and bamboo shoot", a dish perfect for soup.When eaten alone as a side dish, it has its own flavor, known as "black dried vegetables with white rice"."Dried vegetable" can enhance the freshness of other dishes; examples include "dried vegetable stewed eel" and "potato stewed with dried vegetable", each with unique flavors.Each hundred grams contain 250 milligrams of calcium, 31 milligrams of phosphorus, 3.1 milligrams of iron, and 0.04 milligrams of vitamin B.After drying, the moldy preserved vegetable turns a brownish gray with a unique aroma of dried vegetables."Long-hanging dried cabbage" is made from whole Chinese cabbage, while "short-hanging dried cabbage" is from chopped pieces.Moldy preserved vegetables are often used for steaming, stir-frying in oil, or making soup; they can relieve summer heat and purify the body."Moldy Squash Stewed Meat" is a typical Shaoxing delicacy, included in the "Chinese Cookbook".Mr. Lu Xun and Premier Zhou Enlai both enjoyed this hometown dish during their lifetimes."Moldy preserved vegetable stewed with meat" has also received praise from many international friends.In 1972, when President Nixon visited China in Hangzhou at the Longhua Restaurant, he tasted "moldy preserved vegetable stewed with meat," saying "OK!" repeatedly.The traditional preparation of moldy preserved vegetable stewed with meat involves selecting high-quality dried Chinese cabbage, cutting it into inch-long strips, washing and cutting the pork (preferably five-layer fatty meat).Five-layer fatty meat)Mixing it with mother sauce,soy sauce,monosodium glutamate,after the meat absorbs the soy sauce, layer one of vegetables and one of meat in a steamer for about an hour. The meat is tender and has the fragrance of dried vegetables; it is soft but not greasy to eat, with shiny vegetable bits that are fresh yet not salty, making it very filling.Moldy preserved vegetable stewed with bamboo shoots is also delicious when boiled together and then dried; this dish makes a special soup.Moldy preserved vegetable can be steamed separately as a side dish, also quite tasty, known as "black dry vegetable with white rice."".Using moldy preserved vegetables as a ingredient enhances the freshness of the dish, such as in "dry vegetable stewed with snakehead fish" or "dry vegetable stewed with potatoes," both having unique flavors.potato)