Hand-torn cabbage (手撕包菜, shou si bao cai)

Hand-torn cabbage [Photo/Changsha.gov.cn]

A dish that is both pleasant in its crispiness and sourness. The most distinctive feature of this dish is that the cabbage isn't cut with a kitchen knife but torn with hand, hence the name.

This is a typical Hunan vegetable dish, usually served as the last course after meat dishes. Cabbage is rich in vitamin C, the health properties of which may be destroyed easily if met with metals, so people choose to tear it instead of using utensils. Besides cabbage, other vegetables are also suitable for being torn to protect their nutrition.