Zha cai, from Sichuan, is a pickled round, bulbous stem. They look like roots, but are actually stems. Brined, it comes in different flavors, salty, or salty and spicy. Traditionally, zha cai only came in this form. Most recipes call for them to be sliced flat or julienne.
In the past, we would rinse the bulbs before use to clear the salt and grit. Sometimes, we also soak them to take away the saltiness. But when making soups, I rinse it quickly or not at all to get its full flavor. They are popular in soup, steamed with pork, or sliced and fried with other vegetables and rice noodles.
Available in Chinese supermarkets, they are sold loose in large tubs, together with tubs of other brined or salted vegetables. They also come packaged and already sliced, in large and in small package so you need only buy one or two for most single recipes.
