Dưa Muối | Fermented Mustard Greens

As with many other cultures around the world, pickled foods is an important category in Vietnamese cuisine, born out a need to preserve foods. The most recognizable one internationally is probably the pickled carrots and radish that is often added in bánh mì. There are many others like: cà pháo, dưa món, củ kiệu, etc.

Dưa muối (also known as dưa cải or dưa cải chua) is another common preserve and is a must-have side dish for Tết, especially for a Northern family.

With so many different flavorful dishes on the table for Lunar New Year, these pickled mustard greens serve as a great palate cleanser and add balance to the meal.

“Cải bẹ xanh” in Vietnamese, these greens are quite bitter and peppery when raw. As a kid, I would boycott soups that my mom made with these fresh greens, but would happily chow down the pickled version.

The pickling process gradually takes away the original bitterness and you are left with a lovely sharp tanginess. My favorite part is definitely the thick stem pieces, which become super crunchy with just the right acidity.

The process of making dưa muối is simple, but requires some time and patience. For the best final result, you need to prep the greens correctly and to make a good balanced brine. It takes 3-5 days, on average- depending on your ambient temperature, for the pickling to complete- so the best time to make dưa muối is about a week before Tất Niên (New Year’s Eve dinner).
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0:00 - Introduction
1:33 - Ingredients
1:55 - Prep the greens
4:32 - Prep the brine
6:28 - Prep the other ingredients
7:06 - Cut the greens
9:09 - Assemble the jar
11:48 - 5 days later
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RECIPE: http://mmbonappetit.com/dua-muoi

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