咸菜 (xiáncài) · salted vegetables, pickled vegetables

Measure Word

一碟咸菜 dié

Meanings

1 salted vegetables
2 pickled vegetables
3 Chinese pickles

About the ingredient

蔬菜 Vegetables

Vegetables preserved in salt, such as mustard greens and radish: salty and strong, so a little goes a long way. It is eaten on its own with meals, or chopped and stir-fried with shredded pork or added to noodles.

Used in 2 dishes

烧白 shāobái

猪儿粑 zhū'érbā

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

奶奶自己腌咸菜。

Nǎinai zìjǐ yān xiáncài.

Grandma pickles her own salted vegetables.

HSK 7-9

早餐我喜欢吃稀饭配咸菜。

Zǎocān wǒ xǐhuan chī xīfàn pèi xiáncài.

For breakfast I like to have congee with pickled vegetables.

Tips

culture

咸菜 is a category, not one specific dish: any vegetable preserved in salt - most often Chinese mustard greens (雪里蕻, 雪菜), cabbage, radish, or cucumber. It's a staple side dish for breakfast 稀饭 (congee) and 馒头 (steamed buns), and a humble symbol of frugal home cooking. Compare 泡菜 (pàocài) which can mean either Sichuan brined vegetables or Korean kimchi.