Ingredient Name:  Preserved Mustard Greens

Traditional Chinese Name: 酸菜 (suan cai)

• This is Chinese-style preserved mustard greens
• It is literally called “sour vegetable” in Chinese because the mustard greens have been pickled and are very salty and sour to taste.
• The preserved vegetables retain their crunchy and springy texture
• Occasionally, the preserved mustard greens will include the dark, leafy greens (the above photo only shows the stems without the leaves).   If leaves are included, they may also be used similar to the stem.

How do I prepare it?

• Rinse with cold water before using
• For soups, cut into smaller pieces before putting in your soup.   This ingredient is usually one of the last ingredients put into the soup pot (only about ten minutes before eating) because they do not require a long cooking time.

Where can I buy this?

Preserved mustard greens can be purchased in air-tight, clear, plastic packaging at most chinese grocery stores and markets

What is the cost?

• A package should cost under $5 CAD

Any benefits?

• Mustard greens are low in calories and contain a large amount of antioxidants.
• They are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, and E, folic acid, calcium, carotenes, 
  manganese, copper, potassium, iron and fiber. 
• They have the ability to protect against breast cancer and heart disease. 
• Their high content of nutrients including calcium, folic acid, and magnesium is also supportive of bone health.

Additional Information?

• Preserved mustard greens  store well in their original, unopened, air-tight packaging in the fridge (they can keep for several months).

Resources

• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=93#howtouse
• http://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/cb_green.html