榨菜是一种常见的酱腌菜，最早出现于宋代，发祥地大约是当时的涪州（现重庆市涪陵区，原四川省涪陵市），后流传于浙江嘉兴、萧山，广东**，湖南湘潭等地，榨菜可以作为炒菜中的配料，也可以直接食用，特别是在早餐中，和粥或面搭配食用。榨菜的原料是茎瘤芥，拳手那幺大小，经高压压榨制作而成，排出多余水份以达至爽口弹牙，因而得名榨菜。食用时，一般都将它切成丝。比较著名的榨菜产地是重庆涪陵、浙江海宁等。

榨菜含蛋白质、胡萝卜素、膳食纤维、矿物质、谷氨酸、天门冬氨酸、丙迄酸等，17种游离胺基酸。 据说，榨菜的销量也被变化情况也推断人口流动趋势，即“榨菜指数”。

Zha cai (榨菜 literally "pressed vegetable") is a type of pickled mustard plant stem originating from Sichuan, China. The name may also be written in English as cha tsai, tsa tsai, jar choy, jar choi, ja choi, ja choy, or cha tsoi. In English, it is commonly known as Sichuan vegetable, Szechwan vegetable, or Chinese pickled vegetable, although all of these terms may also refer to any of a number of other Chinese pickles, including the several other types in the Sichuan province itself.