Qianlong Cabbage

Qianlong Cabbage is a classic Beijing-style cold dish, featuring hand-torn cabbage hearts tossed in a rich, thick sesame sauce. It offers a refreshing, tangy, and crisp texture with a mellow, appetizing flavor. Cabbage is rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, while sesame sauce provides healthy fats and calcium, making the dish both refreshing and nutritious. The preparation involves no frying or boiling—simply mix the sauce and toss the cabbage, making it very beginner-friendly. Typically, it takes only about 10 minutes to prepare and serve.

Estimated Calories：150 kcal

Ingredients and Tools

• Napa cabbage (use the yellow heart and tender leaves; winter yellow-heart Napa cabbage is best)
• Sesame paste
• Aged vinegar (Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar or Shanxi aged vinegar recommended)
• White sugar
• Sesame oil
• Roasted white sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Calculation

Before preparing each batch, determine how many servings to make. One serving is just right for 2 people.

Per serving:

• 300g of tender napa cabbage leaves
• 30g of sesame paste (about 2 tablespoons)
• 45ml of aged vinegar (about 3 tablespoons; vinegar to sesame paste ratio is approximately 3:2)
• 5g of white sugar (about 1 teaspoon)
• 5ml of sesame oil
• 1g of salt
• 3g of toasted white sesame seeds (optional)

Steps

1. For the napa cabbage, use only the tender inner leaves (the yellow part). Remove the thick stems and tear the leaves by hand into pieces roughly half the size of a palm. Do not use a knife to cut (hand-torn edges are rougher and hold the sauce better).
2. Rinse the torn cabbage leaves thoroughly and drain them well. Any residual moisture will prevent the sauce from adhering properly.
3. Add 30g of sesame paste to a bowl. First, add 45ml of aged vinegar, and stir in one direction to gradually thin out the paste until it drips in a fine line (do not stir back and forth, as this will cause the sesame paste to separate or "release oil").
4. Add 5g of white sugar to the sesame paste mixture and stir until combined. Then add 1g of salt and stir until combined. Finally, add 5ml of sesame oil and stir until combined (add each ingredient separately and stir after each addition, adjusting for consistency as you go).
5. Drizzle the prepared sauce evenly over the cabbage leaves. Gently toss by hand to ensure every leaf is coated with the sauce.
6. Sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds and serve immediately. If you have time, let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before eating.

Additional Notes

• Removing excess water from the napa cabbage is critical; the drier, the better. Wet leaves will not hold the sesame sauce well, causing the overall flavor of the dish to be diluted.
• When preparing the sesame sauce, you must first "loosen" the sauce with vinegar before adding the other ingredients sequentially. Do not pour all ingredients in at once.
• Prioritize using Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar, as it offers the most suitable color and tangy aroma. It is not recommended to use rice vinegar (too mild) or white vinegar (pale in color and weak in flavor).
• This recipe is the vinegar-sugar version. If you prefer a richer, smoother taste, you can replace half of the white sugar with honey.

If you follow the preparation steps in this guide and find any issues or areas for improvement, please submit an Issue or a Pull request.