Japan – Mixed Vegetable Tsukemono

by Zayna Khan

This is Japanese vegetable pickle use to add to different Japanese dishes and consume in many snacks like sandwiches, salads, etc. This is the thing that can make any other dish to the next level. Any vegetable, most probably cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, mushroom, onions, etc are pickled by adding brine and saltwater to them. This is usually called Pickle In Salt and the procedure is commonly named Vegetable or Pickle salting. Salt is the main element in pickling these vegetables. This can be cooked or prepared by using different vegetables or using only one vegetable. Brine is also known as a solution of salt in water. This procedure takes time to prepare this dish. This is very tangy, salty and can make it spicy. The spicier version is also very popular in Japan and Korea. This is the spicy pickle of one vegetable and also be of mixed vegetables. This is served with rice dishes, added in different dishes, and also eaten as it is like a sour vegetable. Some people used to like the crunchy and solid vegetables. Others like to have soggy and mushy vegetables. The choice of the consistency and texture of the vegetable depends on the time taken to prepare it. In this procedure, cooking is not involved. You have to mix all the ingredients and wait for the magic to happen.

This is a very common dish of KAISEKI, a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner. This is more like the Name means ”PICKLED THINGS”

KAISEKI

Kaiseki is also known as kaiseki-ryōri. This is the most traditional Japanese dinner having different dishes, Japanese skills, and Japanese techniques are used in different ways. This may have resembled the ROYAL GREAT CUISINE, also known as HAUTE CUISINE. Kaiseki principles are most probably inspired by NOUVELLE CUISINE.

Traditionally there are two traditional Japanese dinners that refer to Kaiseki and Kaiseki-ryori.

• Kaiseki is the cuisine of Japanese dishes. This is the dinner gathering which refers to different menus to select food of Japanese cuisine and served on an individual plate. It is totally depends on the personal preference to the dish. This is like to select the dish from the menu and have it in your plate. This type of traditional Japanese dinner in which each and every royal dish is served is known as KAISEKI.

• KAISEKI-RYORI is the other or second type of Japanese cuisine dinner in which simple meal is served before the ceremonial tea at the JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY. It is also known as CHANOYU GATHERING.

ORIGIN OF THE DISH

Sen no Rikyū (千利休) also known simply as Rikyū, is the most profound figure of Japanese history which has great impact on the CHANOYU, Japanese tea ceremony. Japanese tea ceremony, Chanoyu, and “The Way of Tea” are different names for the specific traditional gathering introduced by Sen No Rikyu.

In this specific treat, Japanese tea uses the leaf tea of SENCHA. They served in SENCHADO. There are different kinds of tea gatherings:

• Chakai (Tea gathering)
• Chaji (Tea Event)
• Kaiseki (Full course tea gathering)

This dish is the part of Kaiseki in which the whole meal is served. It is more the great event of gathering, involve confections, thick tea, thin tea, Chakai and Chaji are also involved.

In 1906, a book of tea written by Okakura Kakuzō also known as Okakura Tenshin was a Japanese scholar and he introduced this dish, Tsukemono in the great tea ceremony, Kaiseki.

ALTERNATIVE NAMES OF TSUKEMONO

Tsukemono is referred to as many different names:

• Konomono (香の物), means fragnant dishes
• Okōkō (御香々)
• Ooshinko (御新香), means New fragnance
• Kō (香)

VARIETIES OF TSUKEMONO

There are many varieties of tsukemono prepared in Japanese cuisine and also there are many different dishes cooked by using this individual dish, tsukemono.

1. BENI SHOGA

Beni shoga is the kind of Japanese pickle in which thin strips of ginger are usually added in salted and vinegary brine and prepare according to the method of preparing tsukemono. There are traditionally red in color by adding red perilla.

There are few characteristics of beni shoga and its specific appearance and use of ingredients :

• Thin ginger slices are used in this specified tsukemono that named as Beni Shoga
• The special pickling soluion is used that is also used in making umeboshi. It is specially salted brine with vinegar. This makes the dish more tangy and increase its preservation time.
• Red color is appeared by adding RED PERILLA. It is the Herb and also named as SHISO. Sometimes artificial colors are also used.

2.GARI

Gari (ginger) is the Japanese Pickled in the jar. It is made of thinly sliced ginger but sweet in taste. It is dipped into the sweet vinegar solution. Gari is ginger-sweet in taste and usually served with sushi. The color of gari is also changed because of the pickling procedure.

Some benefits of having gari in the food :

• Clean the plaque
• Cleanse the palate of the mouth
• Good for digestion if taken after meal
• Help in bacterial contaminations

3.RAKKYOZUKE

This is the Japanese pickle in which ALLIUM CHINENSE is used. It is used in making Japanese pickles also known as Tsukemono. This is the unique variety of onions famous in Japan and Vietnam.

There are different names of Allium Chinense :

• Chinese onions
• Chinese scallions
• Glittering chives
• Japanese scallions
• Kiangsi scallions
• Oriental onions

4.FUKUJINZUKE

It is a very famous Japanese curry in which different pickled vegetables are used. There are slices of vegetables dipped into salted soya sauce for pickling and serve in making curry. Pickling required less time than tsukemono to maintain the crunch.

There are commonly used vegetables of fukujinzuke

• Egg plant
• Daikon
• Lotus root
• Cucumber
• Bamboo shoot
• Shiitake
• Perilla, etc.

TSUKEMONO TYPES

Shizuka	Salt as the pickling ingredient
Amasuzuke	Vinegar with sugar
Misozuke	Miso as the pickling ingredient
Nukazuke	Rice bran
Satozuke	Sugar for pickling
Shoyuzuke	Soya sauce for pickling

INGREDIENTS

• Cucumber : 2
• Ginger : 1/2 cup
• Egg plant : 2
• Umeboshi : 8
• Daikon : 2 cups
• Chinese cabbage : 1
• Onions : 2
• Lotus roots : 2 cups
• Shiitake : 1 cup
• Vinegar : 2 cup
• Salt : 6 tbsp
• Soya sauce : 1 cup
• Sugar : 4 tbsp

COOKING METHOD

• A tsukemonoki means “pickling container” is the utensil used for making tsukemono
• Wooden or plastic spoon is used in mixing the pickle.
• All you need to mix all the granular ingredients into sauces like soya sauce, vinegar etc.
• Now cut the vegetable according to the appropriate length and and mix all the spices into it.
• Now leave this mixture into the air tight jar for 4 to 8 days.
• Sunlight for 15 minutes a day must be good for proper pickling.
• After then enjoy with the meal.
• 🙂