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Vinegar garlic is a popular dish in Jiaxing. [Photo/jiaxing.gov.cn]

To offset spicy garlic, people living in North China usually accompany it with noodles. However, people in the city of Jiaxing in South China like to change its character with a porcelain jar and vinegar.

Because it is easy to prepare and preserve, many families in Jiaxing store a jar of vinegar garlic in their homes.

Jiaxing people also like the dish for its health benefits. Garlic is a natural antibiotic with strong antiseptic properties capable of reducing blood lipids and protecting against the cold.

In order to produce a crispy flavor, local residents use the newly-harvested garlic in June and July and use Jiaxing-made old-brand vinegar to prepare the dish.

Main ingredients: 1,000 grams of garlic

Seasoning: 150 g of vinegar, 20 g of salt, and 50 g of sugar

Preparation: Soak the garlic in purified water with salt for one day, change the water periodically, then fish the garlic out to drain. Mix the prepared vinegar and sugar in a jar, then put the drained garlic into the jar, cover it with a lid, and store it in the shade for about 20 days.

Properties: The pickled garlic should look crystal clear and the garlic should only be mildly spicy. Break off a garlic kid and see if it tastes crispy and sour.