🍱 Wariboshidaikon no Harihari-zuke

A local dish from Miura City, located at the tip of the Miura Peninsula. Daikon radish, a local specialty, is cut into "Wariboshidaikon (=split-dried daikon)," which is thicker than kiriboshi-daikon (dried daikon), and marinated in soy sauce, dashi (=Japanese soup stock), or other seasonings. Miura City is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Because of its warm winters and cool summers, a variety of vegetables are grown in open fields throughout the year, especially daikon radish, which is Japan's largest producer and a designated national crop. Daikon cultivation had already been practiced in this area during the Edo period (1603-1867). In the late Meiji period (1868-1912), the nationally famous Miura daikon (radish) was created by crossbreeding the native species of Miura with Tokyo's Nerima daikon. From 1925, when it was shipped to the Tokyo market, it was named Miura Daikon and became known throughout Japan as a specialty product. In the 1975's, when the Miura daikon was destroyed by a typhoon, green-necked daikon began to be cultivated, and today, the easy-to-harvest green-necked daikon accounts for most of the shipments. However, Miura daikon still has strong popularity and is sold mainly at direct sales outlets. In Miura City, which is familiar with daikon, split-dried daikon has been one of the traditional cooking methods for daikon. Harihari-zuke, a classic dish using split-dried radish, is enjoyed for its crispy texture.