Tsukemono: Japan's ancient art of pickling vegetables

Tsukemono appear at nearly every Japanese meal, and they do multiple things simultaneously: they cleanse the palate between courses, add acidity or saltiness to balance richer dishes, and provide textural contrast to soft rice and broth. The pickling methods behind them range from the simple (salt and 30 minutes) to the complex (a fermented rice-bran bed maintained for years). Most tsukemono worth making at home fall somewhere in between - a few hours of preparation, a refrigerator stay, and a result far better than anything sold in a jar.

Shio-zuke: the simplest method

Salt pickling requires only three things: a vegetable, salt at 2 to 3 percent of the vegetable's weight, and time. Slice cucumber, daikon, napa cabbage or kohlrabi thinly (a Japanese mandoline produces the most consistent results). Toss with the measured salt. Pack into a container, press with a weight, and refrigerate for 30 minutes for a light pickle or overnight for something more assertive. The vegetables will have released significant liquid and become tender, salty and clean-tasting. The result is best within two days.

Su-zuke: vinegar pickles

The pickling liquid for su-zuke is a simple mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt, heated briefly in a saucepan until dissolved. Pour hot over thinly sliced vegetables - cucumber, lotus root, myoga ginger, carrot - allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least one hour. These keep for up to a week and are crisp, bright and refreshing. Lotus root (renkon) su-zuke is particularly good: the slices stay firm and the vinegar takes on a slightly sweet, starchy character from the vegetable.

Nukazuke: the living pickle

Nukazuke is the most demanding and the most rewarding form of Japanese pickling. A bed of roasted rice bran (nuka) is mixed with salt, water and often kombu, dried chilli and citrus peel, then inoculated with beneficial bacteria through daily hand-mixing. Vegetables buried in this bed for 6 to 24 hours emerge deeply umami, slightly fermented and complex in a way that no quick pickle can match. The nuka bed must be mixed by hand daily to keep the bacterial culture healthy and prevent off-flavours. This is a commitment - but a productive one.

Serving

Slice tsukemono into bite-sized pieces before serving. Arrange on a small plate or in a small bowl. Always serve at room temperature, not cold from the refrigerator - chilling suppresses the flavour.

Explore our tsukemono tools and related Japanese dishes: miso soup, tofu and ochazuke.