Glossary - Ingredients

Tsukemono / Japanese Pickles

GlossaryTsukemono

A preserved food made by pickling vegetables and fruits in salt, soy sauce or other seasonings, which is a side dish to go with white rice

What is tsukemono?

Tsukemono / Japanese pickles (漬物 in Japanese) is a food that has been pickled in salt, soy sauce, miso, sake lees, vinegar, etc. to enhance its shelf life. It matures and improves in flavor through fermentation. There are various types of pickles made from local ingredients all over Japan, and they have been eaten as "side dishes to go with rice," especially with white rice. Daikon radishes, turnips, cucumbers, eggplants, and Ume (Japanese apricots) are popular pickle ingredients. Tsukemono is also used as ingredients in cooking, such as chopping it finely and using it as toppings for rice balls and fried rice.

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"Takuan" pickled daikon radish served with rice balls
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Umeboshi (Pickled Japanese Apricots) 

Nutrition facts

In addition to the original nutrition of the ingredients themselves, fermentation allows you to consume lactic acid bacteria that have the effect of regulating the intestinal environment. In the case of vegetables and fruits, pickling reduces the water content and increases the proportion of dietary fiber.

How to storage: not to waste the ingredient

Originally, pickling was a cooking method developed to preserve ingredients at room temperature for long periods of time. Recently, health and taste have come to be prioritized over preservation, and reduced-salt pickles have also become available. In this case, it is better to store them in the refrigerator unless they are specifically labeled as room temperature storage.

Trivia

By the pickling method "nukazuke," which uses a rice bran bed made from a mixture of rice bran and salt, you can pickle more unusual ingredients such as avocados, tomatoes, boiled eggs, and tofu.

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“Nuazuke” pickles

Caution

Eating too much tsukemono may result in consuming high amounts of sodium, so please be cautious.  Also, putrefactive bacteria can get into the food, so try to be aware of the state of the pickles so that they won't spoil. Especially with homemade pickles, if there is an unusual smell, it may have gone bad, so it is best not to consume it.