Japanese pickles

For the past six years, I’ve made an annual pilgrimage to Japan and, over that time, I’ve developed a special love of tsukemono, or Japanese pickles.

While pickles are found in many countries, for me, no one makes them quite like they do in Japan. Tsukemono are unique in their diversity and technique, and for many, a meal isn’t complete without them.

Of all the different mediums for pickle-making, nukazuke, made by fermenting vegetables in a bran bed called a nukadoko, is a clear favourite. The pickle, which is made without vinegar, is distinctively crunchy, salty and sour,