HOW TO PICKLE FOO CHOW'S ANG CHOW CHOW CHAI 福州紅糟菜

(Foo Chow's Ang Chow Pickled Sour Vegetables )

Written by Money Tai Tai

 I learned how to make Foo Chow 's Ang Chow Chow Chai since primary school, eventually I had to take over the job when I got older, often in old days I would silently protest when dad asked me to do it alone all the times instead of asking any of the rest of my 7 sisters, but now I realize it whatever thing you learned since young days eventually one day you would become a "master"!!! For an example, when I was merely studying in primary school, dad would give me a puff whenever someone hanged him a cigarette in kopitiam.

   Two decades later it became my weapon, when I joined in civil defense, I would puff like "a cool smoker too" deliberately with those "compulsive smokers" in order to provoke a nasty "friend" (I treated her as my very good friend, but eventually I found out she would use me and consider me as her secret enemy instead!) and I was watching shows all along to witness how a jealous woman could bring along "sexual harassment" and many other problems to her  "secret enemy" when she couldn't control her bad mouthing!

I realized that dad has aged since the day I ate his Ang Chow pickles with sand, but none of his 8 daughters would dare to make a single noise, we would look into each other eyes smiling silently, next time make sure we wash those pickles ourselves before cooking instead of letting old mom to do it! 

   We treasure his vitality at this old 80+ age who would plant vegetables, harvest and pickle his ang chow chow chai. "Yummy!" That's what we would tell him.

 You can use bitter taste green vegetables like mustard or another mustard family Asian radish (daikon) leaves. 

Wash and clean the vegetables, cut into half, hanged them under the sun for a day.

You can use the sea salt to knead the vegetables first before kneading the vegetables with ang chow

Another secret I teach you here: 

Add in a spoonful of cooked rice, knead the whole thing again, OK this is not taught by my dad!

Preferable to store in a glass container, leave it in the refrigerator for three months before you want to use it to cook ang chow chai  fung ngang!