🍱 Iburigakko

Takuanzuke is Akita's typical smoked and dried daikon pickles. It is now made throughout the prefecture, but in the past it was a local dish made by farmers in the land area of the prefecture. In Akita, where winter comes early, especially in the southern land area of the prefecture, the moist westerly winds from the Sea of Japan are blocked by the Ou Mountains from late autumn to winter, resulting in more rainfall and snowfall, shorter hours of sunlight, and lower temperatures. Due to the deep snowy environment where the sun-dried daikon radishes for making takuan (sweet dumplings) would drop below freezing without being sufficiently dried, the daikon radishes were dried on the hearth of the house. The heat and smoke from the hearth fire enhanced the preservation of the daikon, and by soaking them in rice bran and salt to remove the moisture, the daikon could be eaten over the winter. In addition, the winter temperatures slow fermentation, and the smoked aroma on the daikon and the pickled ingredients fuse with each other with a good salinity, creating a unique umami and flavor. This takuan pickles dried over an open hearth is said to be the prototype of iburigakko, which originated in the Muromachi period (1333-1573) and was produced in almost every household in this area. Iburi" means "smoked" and "gakko" is the dialect word for "pickles" in Akita.