Şahnur Ilıcalı
23 May 2026 Last updated: 11 September 2026

Suan cai is a sour pickle from north-eastern China, made by rubbing cabbage with salt and leaving it to ferment naturally for weeks. The amount of salt must be neither too low nor too high for fermentation to progress properly. With no nuts or fish, its simple ingredients suit many eating patterns.

Step by Step

How to make it?

1

Massage the cabbage

15 min

Rub the thinly sliced cabbage thoroughly with the rock salt and leave for 15 minutes to release its juices.

2

Pack into the jar

10 min

Pack the cabbage and its juices tightly into a clean jar, then add the cooled boiled water.

3

Leave to ferment

30240 min

Close the lid loosely and leave in a dark place at room temperature to ferment for 3 weeks. Check for foam every day.

4

Refrigerate

2 min

Transfer the fermented pickle to the refrigerator; it can be used over the following weeks.

Reminder

Check the jar every day during fermentation and remove any foam from the surface; foam left unchecked can spoil the pickle.

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Comments (2)

4.7 3 reviews 100% recommend it 1 rated without leaving a comment
5 2
4 1
3 0
2 0
1 0
A
Ali Turan Aide de Cuisine 3 months ago

Kavanozu her gün kontrol edip yüzeydeki köpüğü tarifte anlatıldığı gibi düzenli temizledim, 3 hafta sonunda turşu hiç bozulmadan mükemmel bir ekşilikte olgunlaştı, lahananın dokusu da hâlâ hafifçe çıtırdı.

C
Ceren Tosun Premier Commis 3 months ago

Editör notundaki gibi kavanoza 3 dilim taze zencefil ekledim, turşunun aroması gerçekten çok daha keskin ve derin bir hâle geldi, 3 hafta sonunda ekşiliği de tam kıvamındaydı, ailem bayıldı.

Ş
Şahnur Recipe Owner 3 months ago

Zencefil fermantasyon sırasında hafifçe daha da güçlenir, bu yüzden ilk günlerdeki tadı son hâlinden biraz daha hafif kalır. Sabırla beklemeye değer.

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