Japanese foods--tsukemono

Fat Guy · June 7, 2003

What exactly is oshinko? I was under the impression that it was the yellowish gourd-type thing, pickled, but recently I ordered an "oshinko salad" at Hatsuhana NYC and got several different pickled vegetables. What gives?

smallworld · June 7, 2003

'Oshinko' is the Japanese word for pickles.

The yellow one you mention is just one kind of oshinko, it's actual name (from the sound of it) is 'takuan'. Takuan is pickled daikon, the yellow colour comes from turmeric.

Takuan is one of the most common Japanese pickles; it keeps for a long time and well-made examples have a great texture. It is more likely to be specificly called 'takuan' and not the more general 'oshinko', so I'm surprised you knew it as 'oshinko'.

I think it's more usual for quick pickles, meant to be eaten within a few days, to be given the vague name of 'oshinko'. Quick-pickled cucumbers and 'kabu' turnips are common 'oshinko'.

A confusing explanation! Hopefully Kristin will be along soon to set things straight.

torakris · June 7, 2003

smallworld you explained it just fine!

As I said in the previous thread, they are normally the pickles that are served with the rice at the end of the meal.

In the US the takuan (yellow daikon) is by far the most popular and thus this is why most people think of this when they say oshinko. In Japan you are usually served 2 or more varieties and cucumbers (either shiozuke or nukazuke) seem to be the most popular.

A great oshinko salad that I make is salt some cucumbers slivers and let them sit for a little bit, then sliver some takuan, rinse the cucumbers, mix with the takuan, add some sesame seeds and a drop of soy sauce.

skchai · June 8, 2003

One thing I always wondered about is the amount of coloring agents used in oshinko (a lot more so, seemingly, than in other tsukemono). What's the deal? Does anybody really find yellow daikon or pink garlic so enticing? Red shiso actually adds flavor to pickles, but that seems to be the exception.

As both smallworld and torakris mentioned, takuan is sometimes used synonymously with oshinko. Before the days of turmeric, takuan was pickled in nuka (rice bran), and thereby acquired a light-brownish color, so the turmeric might be a way of mimicing that in modern, brine-pickled takuan. However, then why not use caramel coloring or something more realistic? Or am I missing the point?

torakris · June 8, 2003

I am not sure when or why the coloring for takuan started, it was probably for a color thing becasue the Jaapnese are so into that! :biggrin:

In Japan now the bright yellow takuan are slowly disappearing, the "natural versions are much more popular now. It also surprises me when I go into an Asian grocery in the US and the refrigerator cases are filled with those bright yellow daikon.

smallworld · June 9, 2003

I am not sure when or why the coloring for takuan started, it was probably for a color thing becasue the Jaapnese are so into that!
In Japan now the bright yellow takuan are slowly disappearing, the "natural versions are much more popular now. It also surprises me when I go into an Asian grocery in the US and the refrigerator cases are filled with those bright yellow daikon.

I've always wondered why takuan is so common in N. American Japanese restaurants. Maybe because it keeps better than other pickles? It is usually awful!

The natural nukazuke takuan is so much better, I won't even eat the bright yellow kind anymore.

What's the deal? Does anybody really find yellow daikon or pink garlic so enticing? Red shiso actually adds flavor to pickles, but that seems to be the exception.

Pink garlic? I've never seen this- can you describe it more?

I have to agree that sometimes food can be over coloured here. Beni-shouga is such a weird colour! But I have to admit, when sprinkled on yaki-soba, which is usually all brown, it looks really nice.

skchai · June 10, 2003

What's the deal? Does anybody really find yellow daikon or pink garlic so enticing? Red shiso actually adds flavor to pickles, but that seems to be the exception.
Pink garlic? I've never seen this- can you describe it more?
I have to agree that sometimes food can be over coloured here. Beni-shouga is such a weird colour! But I have to admit, when sprinkled on yaki-soba, which is usually all brown, it looks really nice.

Sorry - I can't give you any more details because I was so frightened I dropped the bag and didn't look any further! However, I can honestly say that I remember seeing it at the tsukemono section of both our local Daiei and Shirokiya (the last remaining branch of the oldest department store chain in Japan, now owned by Tokyu, is somehow in Honolulu, but that's another story). And, no, I do not believe I was hallucinating at the time.

As you are, I'm less upset by beni shouga. Bright red is at least more food-like than pink! Also it "fits" the hot (?) taste of the ginger.

torakris · June 10, 2003

I have seen pink garlic before too, I am not sure what the reason behind it is or if it was chemicals or natural. I will pay more attention the next time I am out.

Shirokiya in Hawaii, oh the fond memories I have of there.................

DVSDave · June 10, 2003

One of my favorite things about dining in Japanese restaurants is the wide variety of pickles (tseukemono or oshinko) that you can enjoy with your meal. However all my attempts to make these treats at home result in less than satisfactory results. For the finely shredded napa cabbage, all my oshinko came out too crisp -- more of a coleslaw texture than the medium wilted, seasoned texture you get in Japanese restaurants. My next stab at tseukemono resulted in a disasterous Japanese eggplant oshinko -- texture was so slimy, my gf never busted my balls for that incident.

None of my Japanese cookbooks mention tseukemono. Is tseukemono more of a convenience food, or is it made at home. And if the latter, how and where do you get the equipment? And, er, how do you use it?

Thanks in advance for your help.

torakris · June 10, 2003

some recipes can be found here:

http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/dailyjc/hints...suke/tsuke.html

SobaAddict70 · June 10, 2003

no, you weren't hallucinating.

Pickled garlic and shallots are used extensively in other cuisines (i.e., Vietnamese), so its not as uncommon as you're thinking.

Monsoon, a sort of quasi-chain Vietnamese restaurant on the UWS, used to serve pink pickled garlic cloves with their chicken bun and vegetable bun (a bun is sort of like a meat and vegetable noodle dish).

Soba

margaret · June 10, 2003

I've actually eaten the pink garlic. It's shiso. Usually with katsuo bushi. Not bad.

I really do hate the yellow takuan. Lately all the takuan I've had has been soggy, too. Boo.

torakris · June 13, 2003

some more pickle recipes:

http://japanesefood.about.com/cs/pickles/

smallworld · June 16, 2003

I've been checking the pickle aisles of all my local supermarkets (I usually do, since pickled garlic- the shoyu flavour only- are one the few pickles my husband will eat). But no luck- not a pink pickled garlic to be seen!

I'm venturing out of the suburbs today so I'll have to pop into a good depachika- this shiso-garlic really has me intrigued!

torakris · June 17, 2003

today as I was paging through my local co-op catalogue, I noticed cranberry rakkyo! :biggrin: besides being pink they also have whole cranberries inside. I will order them next week and they will arrive the week after, I will definitely report back on this interesting find!

torakris · July 2, 2003

today as I was paging through my local co-op catalogue, I noticed cranberry rakkyo! besides being pink they also have whole cranberries inside. I will order them next week and they will arrive the week after, I will definitely report back on this interesting find!

I finally recieved my cranberry rakkyo, they are an absolutely gorgeous pink!

At first bite they were sweet, very sweet, but as I continued to chew the rakkyo flavor mixed with the intense cranberry flavor and I was very pleased with the result and ate quite a few more.

I will definitely be buying these again!

chrislacy · August 1, 2003

This is my first time using this service, so hopefully I'm doing this right.

I've been interested in Japanese pickles ever since I lived in Hawaii in the mid-1980s. I've tried a number of recipes, but never found one that duplicates those bright green colored cucumber pickles you find in the refrigerator case of japanese markets. They are so crunchy and sour, I really love them! But they cost about $5 for a tiny little container :angry: .... (I also like the bright red ones (shibazuke?) that use eggplant.)

I've tried salt pickles using cucumber, salt, shiso and ginger, but they always end up tasting kind of bland compared with the store bought ones.

Does anyone know how to make these kind of pickles?

torakris · August 5, 2003

This is my first time using this service, so hopefully I'm doing this right.
I've been interested in Japanese pickles ever since I lived in Hawaii in the mid-1980s. I've tried a number of recipes, but never found one that duplicates those bright green colored cucumber pickles you find in the refrigerator case of japanese markets. They are so crunchy and sour, I really love them! But they cost about $5 for a tiny little container .... (I also like the bright red ones (shibazuke?) that use eggplant.)
I've tried salt pickles using cucumber, salt, shiso and ginger, but they always end up tasting kind of bland compared with the store bought ones.
Does anyone know how to make these kind of pickles?

I am not sure of the pickles you are referring to are they cut in slices, chunked or whole?

I too have been very disappointed with most of my attempts at pickling and since the purchased ones can be so good I rarely bother............ :blink:

oh and welcome to egullet! :biggrin:

torakris · March 22, 2004

for some reason I have been a shibazuke kick for the past couple days, I eat them with every meal, I snack on them throughout the day......

Love the stuff! :biggrin:

hillvalley · March 22, 2004

Great bump Kris!

I have yet to meet an oshinko that I didn't like! My favorite are the flourecent yellow daikon, whole mini-carrotts and purple cucmber (I have no idea what the names are!)

I often have a dinner of natto, oshinko, nori and rice.

Did someone already ask what the difference between tsukemono and oshinko is?

torakris · March 22, 2004

Did someone already ask what the difference between tsukemono and oshinko is?

yup! :biggrin:

the answer:

Tsukemono (tsuke= pickle mono=thing) is the broad category of pickles, encompassing the following:

shio-zuke-- salt pickling,these are usually quick pickles made with just salt, can be used with cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, etc (these are what is usually meant by oshinko)

nuka-zuke--rice bran pickles, vegetables are placed in tubs of rice bran for hours to days depending on the type, takuan (sometimes yellow colored pickled radish) is one of the most common of this type.

nukamiso-zuke--pickled in rice bran mash, the picjkling matter iswetter then the dry rice bran pickles above

miso-zuke--vegetables pickled in miso

su-zuke-- pickled in vinegar

umeboshi--pickled plums

senmai-zuke--a special turnip pickle made with konbu

plus many, many others

Oshinko is just the generic name for the pickles that you receive with your rice bowl, usually of the shio-zuke variety but occasionally nuka-zuke.

chardgirl · May 20, 2004

I have an abundance of radishes (large, round 'Japanese Purple Plum' variety) and I'd like to start making more Japanese and Korean pickles. I've found some very useful information here in the Japan forum, but I'd like to find some simple pickle recipes for a complete novice. Radishes, cabbage, onions, carrots, I love Japanese pickles! We have Japanese grocery stores with dozens of different pickles of all shapes, sizes and colors. How do I make my own!!??

I live in California and I have access to many common ingredients that cookbooks in English list. I've lived in China and studied Mandarin for 4 years but I know very little about Japanese food. -chardgirl

chardgirl · May 20, 2004

Here is a photo of the radishes I referred to in my quest for pickle recipes:

Hiroyuki · May 20, 2004

Hoping that someone else posts a shio-zuke (salt dipping) recipe, here I post beer zuke and sugared-vinegar zuke:

1. Beer zuke

Radish: 1 kg

Beer: 1 large bottle

Salt: 300 g

Sugar: 700 to 800 g

(You can use this dipping sauce several times.)

2. Sugared vinegar zuke

Radish: 1 kg

Sugar: 140 g

Vinegar: 50 cc

Salt: 30 g

These two recipes I have never tried. I have just found them on the net. I usually don't use radishes (hatsuka daikon in Japanese; hatsuka = twenty days) for pickles.