Sichuan Preserved Vegetables = zhacai (Mandarin) = ja choi (Cantonese)

This pickle, made from the stems of mustard cabbage, originated in Sichuan province, but is now made in other parts of China. The stems are dried in the sun, then pickled in brine. After being trimmed and cleaned, they are pressed to extract excess liquid (the Mandarin name zhacai means "pressed vegetable"), before being blended with chilies and spices, and stored in sealed urns to mature.

Sichuan preserved vegetable has a pungent aroma that may not appeal to the uninitiated. It has a smooth and crunchy texture and taste quite salty and peppery.

Unlike most other types of preserved and pickled vegetables, Sichuan preserved vegetables is a very versatile ingredients. It is not merely served raw as a relish, but is also cooked with other foods in stir-fries, soups and steamed dishes.

Chinese pickles

There is a wide range of Chinese pickles available. Some appear in packets, some in jars, and some in cans. A pickle may consist of a single ingredient such as ginger, garlic, spring onion bulbs, chilies, cabbage, cucumber, gourd, runner beans, bamboo shoots, carrots or daikon (Chinese radish or mooli) or a mixture. Individual items are generally pickled in a dark soy solution, while mixed vegetables tend to be pickled in clear brine to which sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, distilled spirit and fresh ginger have been added, with chilies and vinegar as optional ingredients. The cleaned vegetables are pickled in the solution in a sealed earthenware urn. This is left in a cool, dark place for at least a week in summer, or up to a month in winter. The longer the pickling process, the better the taste.

Japanese pickles = Tsukemono

There are many varieties of the Japanese pickles known as tsukemono. The vegetables that are used are more or less the same as those used in China, but the method of pickling is somewhat different. To start with, instead of earthenware urns, only wooden barrels are used in Japan and, instead of being pickled in a brine solution, the vegetables are layered with salt. When the barrel is full, a lid is put on top, and this is weighted down with a large stone or similar weight. The combined effect of the salt and the compression forces the liquid out of the vegetables and they are pickled in their own juices.

Other methods include pickling in sake, miso or rice bran, and the most popular types of vegetable used are daikon (mooli), bok choy, cucumber, aubergine, horseradish and the bulbs of spring onions. Thinly sliced pink pickled ginger (gari) is traditionally served with sushi and sashimi.

Japanese pickles form an essential part of a meal. They are served as a relish to accompany the cooked food, as well as a dessert or a means of cleansing the palate at the end. They are either served singly or in groups of two or three, always beautifully arranged in small individual dishes.

Umeboshi

These small pickled plums are a particular Japanese delicacy. The plums are picked before they are ripe and are pickled in salt , with red shiso leaves to give them their distinctive color. They have a sharp and salty taste and are often chopped and used as a filling for rice balls.

Kim chee = Korean pickled cabbage = Korean pickled vegetables 

This Korean specialty is made with cabbage, vinegar, garlic, and hot chili peppers, all of which are put into jars and allowed to ferment.  It's spicy and very good.

Pickled bamboo shoots

A delicacy in Vietnam, this consists of sliced bamboo shoots in spiced vinegar. The shoots are quite sour and should be soaked in water to remove some of the bitterness. They are mainly used in soups and stocks, and are often served with duck.

Pickled garlic

This is a favorite in Thailand. The small bulbs are pickled whole in a sweet and sour brine.

Pickled limes

Whole limes preserved in brine or a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, salt and vinegar are another Thai specialty.