🍱 Yatara zuke (Vegetable Pickeles)

The name "Yatara-zuke" comes from the idea of using a variety of vegetables, such as eggplant, cucumber, perilla seeds, and myoga, and creating something "delicious with an abundance of vegetables". This pickling method takes about six months and is a traditional winter preserved food that incorporates multiple types of vegetables. Unlike typical pickling, where all vegetables are pickled simultaneously, "Yatara-zuke" involves salting each vegetable separately based on its harvest season. Around November, the salted vegetables are roughly chopped, marinated with chili peppers and seasoning liquid for several days, and the dish is then considered complete. While Yatara-zuke was once widely commercially available, it has become challenging to purchase nowadays. The decline is attributed to a reduction in the number of people making it. However, in the Chikusa-cho area of Shiso City, there are still households continuing the tradition of making "Yatara-zuke".