Soy-Sauce Pickled Chinese Olives (Yan Nin)

Why people make this pickle

Chinese olives (yan nin) only come into season for a short window — about ten-odd days — so when fans of their flavor see them, it’s worth grabbing some to cook with or to pickle as a pre-meal nibble. This batch uses good light soy sauce. The leftover sweet-sour soy syrup is itself a treasure: spoon it over steamed fish or ribs, and yan nin with sweet-sour young ginger steamed with ribs or a big fish head is simply delicious.