Pickles · FFET10383
Sweet pickled garlic (tangsuan)
Whole garlic bulbs become pale and translucent when pickled, with a sweet-sour flavor and crisp texture.
Vegetables kept by salting or fermenting: sour cabbage, brined pickles and salted greens.
Tangsuan is a side pickle made from whole garlic bulbs with sugar, vinegar, salt and other ingredients; it is pale and translucent, with a sweet-sour flavor and crisp texture. Beijing's Liubiju lists white sweet pickled garlic among its pickles. Liubiju opened a batch of its jar-rolled sweet pickled garlic after 150 days of pickling at a Beijing event on October 16, 2026.
What
Tangsuan is a sweet-sour pickle made from whole garlic bulbs. The pickled garlic is pale, translucent and crisp, and is served as a side.1
When
On October 16, 2026, Liubiju opened a 150-day batch of jar-rolled sweet pickled garlic in Beijing. This date records the event; tangsuan's date of origin remains unestablished.2
Where
Beijing's Liubiju makes tangsuan, lists white sweet pickled garlic among its pickles, and has held a jar-opening event in Beijing. These accounts do not establish Beijing as tangsuan's place of origin.2,3
How
Whole garlic bulbs are pickled with sugar, salt, vinegar and water, with baijiu or soy sauce in some versions. The Liubiju batch displayed at the event was pickled for 150 days, and visitors could try rolling a jar.1,2
Why
Tangsuan is distinctive for its sweet-sour flavor and crisp texture. The sweet-sour pickling liquid mellows raw garlic's sharp bite.1
Impact and influence
Liubiju held a jar-opening event in 2026 and conducted research with Huafeng Meteorological Media Group into raw-material quality and flavor in relation to the solar terms. Liubiju's pickle-making craft is national intangible cultural heritage; this designation applies to the maker's craft rather than tangsuan itself.2,3