PICKLED VEGITABLES

Tsukemono are Japanese preserved vegetables pickled in salt, vinegar or a bed of saké kasu (saké lee) or nuka (rice bran). Tsukemono come in large varieties, such as takuan (radish) and shibazuke (pickles made with salt and purple shiso leaves), more diverse than Western pickles represented by sauerkraut. Tsukemono is a great accompaniment to rice, the staple food of Japan, and used to be made in almost every household. In today’s Japan, most people buy tsukemono from stores. “Measure the exact amount of salt,” my grandma often used to say to me. Too little or too much salt will only result in a bland taste. I still struggle to get it right. For me, grandma’s tsukemono is more precious than luxury French cuisine.