Takuan
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Takuan (Japanese: 沢庵; also spelled takuwan), or takuan-zuke (沢庵漬け), known as danmuji (단무지) in the context of Korean cuisine,[1][2] is a Japanese radish pickle preparation of daikon radish. It is a popular traditional Japanese food. Takuan is often served alongside other types of tsukemono ('pickled things') in traditional Japanese cuisine. It is also enjoyed at the end of meals as it is thought to aid digestion.
Production
The first step in the traditional process of making takuan is to hang a daikon radish in the sun for a few weeks until it becomes dehydrated and flexible. Next, the daikon is placed in a pickling crock and covered with a mix of salt, rice bran, optionally sugar, daikon greens, kombu, perhaps chilli pepper and/or dried persimmon peels. A weight is then placed on top of the crock, and the daikon is allowed to pickle for several months. The finished takuan is usually yellow in color and quite pungent, though most mass-produced takuan uses salt or syrup to reduce the dehydration time, and is colored artificially. Iburi-gakko (lit. smoked takuan) is eaten in Akita Prefecture. It is smoked rather than sun-dried before pickling.
History
In Japan, Takuan Sōhō is credited with concocting this yellow pickle, which now bears his name.[3]
Usage
Usually, takuan is washed with water, the excess brine removed and it is sliced thinly before serving. It is eaten as a side dish in meals, and eaten as a snack at teatime. Strip-cut takuan is often used for bento. Traditional takuan—using sun-dried daikon radish and pickled in rice bran bed—is sometimes stir fried or braised when getting older and sour. Some sushi rolls use strip-cut takuan for ingredients such as shinkomaki (takuan only), torotaku-maki (fatty tuna and takuan).
Outside Japan
Takuan is called danmuji (단무지) in Korea. Danmuji is a common banchan (side dish) served with bunsik (light meal or snack) as well as Korean Chinese dishes.
Gallery
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Takuan
See also
- Nukazuke – Japanese pickle made by fermenting vegetables in rice bran
- Pickled radish – Radish dish served with Korean fried chicken
- List of foods named after people
- List of pickled foods
References
- ^ Sula, Mike (22 January 2009). "Omnivorous: Black Noodles and Other Delights". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
- ^ Surh, Jeonghee; Kim, Young-Kyung Lee; Kwon, Hoonjeong (2008). "Korean Fermented Foods: Kimchi and Doenjang". In Farnworth, Edward R. (ed.). Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods (Second ed.). Boca Raton: CRC Press. p. 336. ISBN 978-1-4200-5326-5.
- ^ Nagamura, Kit. "All at sea in Shinagawa". The Japan Times Online. October 5, 2007. Accessed July 11, 2011.
External links
Tokyo Central Pickle Co., Ltd. Histry of Takuan, Variation Of Takuan.