Pickled mustard greens

Brassica juncea lacto-fermented under salt. The ferment liberates free glutamate and generates lactic acid, so it delivers savoury depth and a low sourness at once, plus a fibrous crunch that survives frying. Sold water-packed and heavily salted, so the tissue arrives osmotically loaded and water-saturated. Soak, squeeze until no more liquid comes out, then dry-fry in an empty pan until the hissing stops and the smell turns from sour to toasty. Skipping that dumps brine into whatever it joins and steams it. Stands in for Yibin suimiyacai, the dried Sichuan mustard stem pickle, but is wetter, saltier and less concentrated.