🍱 Akakabu no Senmaizuke (Red Turnip Pickles)

“Akakabu no senmaizuke” refers to traditional red turnip pickles of the Tsugaru region of Aomori prefecture. Red turnips are harvested just before the snowy season begins. They are pickled with Dashi(=Japanese soup stock) made with Kombu(=kelp), vinegar and Zarame(=coarse white sugar), which create a sweet and sour taste. Red turnips have been cultivated in Tsugaru for a long time and it has a soft flesh which makes it suitable for pickling. The skin and flesh are both red and once vinegar is added, the vinegar turns into a beautiful red color. It adds a colorful element to the rest of the dishes being served. The Tsugaru area has a snowy winter which makes vegetables scarce and “Akakabu no senmaizuke” is a popular recipe to make at the end of autumn to last until the following spring.