Kohlrabi in Sichuan
The kohlrabi in Sichuan is also called kohlrabi after it is made into pickles, or dried pickles, which is not the same thing as the kohlrabi called here in Yantai, Shandong. The kohlrabi in Sichuan is actually the root of mustard, commonly known as "a knot in one's head" in Yantai area. Compared with Yantai's pimple head, Sichuan's kohlrabi is much more exquisite and thinner. When I was young, in summer, I saw that every household in the neighborhood was drying kohlrabi, some were hung on the eaves with bamboo sticks, some were dried on bamboo cool beds, and some were not shaded in jars, then washed, cut, salted and sealed in inverted jars, sealed with water, which made them more fragrant and not bad for years. The craft of each household is different, and the taste of kohlrabi is also different. In the past when food was scarce, an altar of kohlrabi could support a family for a long time. A simple dish of small pickles, without any processing, is made of porridge and steamed bread, which is crisp and raw, making people's lips and teeth fragrant and leaving a aftertaste. If you stir-fry with vegetable oil and spicy paste, the taste will be different.
More and more people won't make pickles like kohlrabi, which are small and insignificant. There are more delicious things waiting for people to choose, especially young people. In the market in Chengdu, you can buy the whole pickled kohlrabi, just go back and shred and slice it. You don't even have to cut it. The seller has cut it in advance according to different forms. You can just buy it home.
As far away from my hometown as I am, I am very reluctant to give up everything in my hometown, especially the delicious and interesting things I came into contact with as a child, which are deeply imprinted in my mind. From time to time, I will recall those foods that I never forget, and try my best to find, collect or dig out those folk dishes that are not elegant, and put them into action DIY. Over the years, I have collected and restored many practices of side dishes and seasonings, and these materials are recorded in my heart, which makes me feel very happy and satisfied. That feeling, I think, you will understand.
Materials:
Some kohlrabi
Proper amount of salt
(Vegetable-salt ratio = 10: 1.5-2)
Practice:
1, kohlrabi is bought back and dried, subject to soft hands.
2. Soak kohlrabi in water for 20 minutes and brush it with a clean brush or toothbrush.
3. Drain the kohlrabi.
4. Cut into pieces with appropriate size and thickness, and then cut into thin strips.
5. Add a proper amount of salt and put it into the altar with a long and narrow mouth.
6. The jar mouth is sealed with corn leaves, zongzi leaves or cattail leaves, and then stuck with bamboo sticks, which can prevent the pickles from falling down after the jar is inverted and buckled.
7. Find a suitable deep plate, invert the flapping altar, add a proper amount of water to the plate to seal the altar mouth, isolate the air, and check whether it is necessary to renew the water from time to time.
After two months, the spicy taste of kohlrabi is eliminated and it can be eaten. (The kohlrabi in the picture is the color when it is seven months old.)
In summer, you can take out the vegetables and put them on a dustpan or bamboo bed to bask in the sun for half a day to a day. Then put the vegetables into the flapping altar.