🍱 Okomojino-aburaitame (Fried Okomoji with oil)

Pickles are indispensable for daily three meals. In Saga Prefecture, seasonal ingredients are utilized and pickles are made without interruption throughout the year: Takana pickles in spring, pickled plums and rakkyo pickles in early summer, typical pickled cucumbers in summer, and pickled Daikon radish in winter. Among them, the preserved food called "Okomoji" or "Okumoji" which is made by salting Takana and Shakushina is loved even today. Especially for Takana, large and young plants are pickled in salt from March to April to make long-term and short-term pickles, respectively, and a large amount of pickles are preserved as pickled greens that can be kept all year round. The idea was to make it possible to eat old Okomoji even after they become old, and this dish is called "Okomoji no aburaitame". This dish, also known as "Takana no aburaitame" is easy to prepare at home and has become a popular soul food. Pickles are generally considered to be high in salt, but "Okomoji no aburaitame" is characterized by the fact that it is made by removing the salt from old pickles before using them, thus reducing the amount of salt.