🍱 Kanzuke

“Kanzuke” is a pickle made by exposing radishes to the cold winter wind twice. It is a traditional specialty of the Ashikita and Minamata regions. Raw radishes are dried, then pickled in salt when they become wrinkled, and further dried for 1-2 months. Once dried to an amber color, they are thinly sliced and soaked in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and vinegar. After 1-2 days, when the flavor has seeped in, the pickles are ready. The crunch and unique flavor make them a perfect accompaniment to rice, so much so that you can eat several bowls. It also works well as a snack with tea or to accompany alcohol. Other flavorings such as ginger, kelp, and yuzu pepper are added to the seasoning liquid, and each household has its own special twist. When the radishes are dried, they are pierced with a bamboo skewer, threaded with string, and hung on a bamboo pole under the eaves. This sight is considered a part of the winter tradition in the Ashikita and Minamata areas. Nowadays, fewer people dry radishes at home, but dried radishes are sold so that you can season them to your taste at home. They are popular at roadside stations and supermarkets as reminders of hometown flavors.