At the table
Take small bites alongside rice or other food. Ask which vegetables are served and how spicy they are; use the serving utensils when sharing.
Whole chilies can be hot. This brine includes baijiu; do not assume the finished pickles are alcohol-free.
The selected preparation is plant-based. Check added sauces, brine and toppings when choosing another version.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Vegetables, brine seasonings and fermentation time vary. Other versions may use cabbage or cowpeas; these are not a fixed mixed-vegetable recipe.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Sour and salty, with chili heat and aromatic Sichuan pepper; intensity varies.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Crunchy radish with softer pickled ginger and garlic.
- How it’s made
- Vegetables ferment in cooled salt water with Sichuan pepper, rock sugar and a little baijiu in this preparation. The sourness develops during fermentation.
Vegetables, brine seasonings and fermentation time vary. Other versions may use cabbage or cowpeas; these are not a fixed mixed-vegetable recipe.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Sichuan.
About this regional connection
Sichuan: Sichuan skewer-pot format, not an exclusive origin-city assertion.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有四川泡菜吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
From the pickle crock to the table
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Paocai is part of Sichuan’s home cooking: a small side dish alongside a meal, while pickled chilies and ginger also season cooked dishes.