Chinese sauerkraut dates back almost 5,000 years! Traditional varieties are made with Chinese (Napa) cabbage or mustard cabbage (gai choy).
I consider this recipe to be a hybrid of sauerkraut and kimchi, mainly because we chop the cabbage or greens into large pieces rather than shred them.
Chinese Mustard Green Sauerkraut (Suan Cai)
Ingredients
- 2 lb (1 kg) Mustard greens (gai choy) or Napa (Chinese) cabbage
- 3 tsp. (15 g) sea salt
- 2-3 inches (5 to 8 cm) fresh ginger root
- 6-8 fresh or dried chilies, like Thai
Instructions
- Lightly wash the cabbage or greens leaves to remove any dirt or debris.
- Sprinkle leaves with salt, lightly massage them and place in a bowl for 30 minutes to an hour, to let the leaves begin to wilt and give up some water.
- Chop the cabbage or greens into 2 inch (5cm) pieces.
- Mince or slice ginger into matchsticks.
- For a hotter dish, chop the chilies. For less spicy, leave them whole.
- Mix all veggies together and any brine that forms, and pack into a jar.
- Add a weight to the mixture. Enough brine to cover the veggies should form on its own over the next day.
- Cover with an airlock device, or a clean breathable cloth, then secure with a rubber band, or the lid ring (if using a mason jar).
- Stash it in a cool, dark place– such as a cellar, or in a kitchen cabinet. It will ferment fine in a brighter environment, too, but avoid putting the containers in a sunny location.
- During fermentation, the veggies should take on a slight golden color.
Care and Storage
- Remove weight and replace lid with regular tight fitting lid.
- Store in refrigerator. Enjoy within 2 months.
Author and founder of Fermenters Club. I’ve been fermenting food for 14 years.
In 2024, I published my first book, Fearless Fermenting.
When not stuffing things into jars, I enjoy permaculture gardening, cooking, yoga, writing, and studying cosmology and esoteric traditions.





















