The Pickled Cucumber with Soy Sauce represents the traditional handicraft of southern Shanxi. It is well-known for its unique production technique and peculiar flavor. This tradition origins in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and mainly distributes around Linjin. The particular geographic environment, such as temperature, water and soil condition, contributes to the unique historical position of pickled cucumber with soy sauce in China. According to Xu Zhiming, an old craftsman, Jing Yi Tong and Sen Mao Yuan were the two old workshops producing pickled cucumber with soy sauce in old time. In the Qing Dynasty, Linjin pickled cucumber was once presented to the Imperial Palace and highly praised by the emperor. At the Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915, the pickled cucumber by Jing Yi Tong was awarded the silver medal, which made Linyi Pickled Cucumber with Soy Sauce well-known over the world. This event was recorded in Linjin county's chronicles of the products in 1921 and 1923. In 1981, it was entitled the High Quality Product by Shanxi Provincial People's government. In 1952, the state-owned Linjin Food Factory was established to resume the production of pickled cucumber after decades of production suspending. In 1981, the factory was transformed into Linjin Dongsheng Yuan. And now the Yi Xiang Yuan Pickled Cucumber with Soy Sauce was produced by Dongsheng Yuan in Linjin.
The pickled cucumber tastes delicious, salty-sweet and rich in sauce flavor. Just as the folk poetry says, the fragrance of the pickled cucumber lingers around the neighborhood, a bite of it makes your life meaningful and worthy.
