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  7. Akakabu no Senmaizuke (Red Turnip Pickles)

Akakabu no Senmaizuke (Red Turnip Pickles) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

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  • Aomori Prefecture

    Akakabu no Senmaizuke (Red Turnip Pickles)

Akakabu no Senmaizuke (Red Turnip Pickles)

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  • Akakabu no Senmaizuke (Red Turnip Pickles)
    DOWNLOAD

    Image Source : "Aomori Prefecture Council for the Promotion of Improved Dietary Habits"

  • Akakabu no Senmaizuke (Red Turnip Pickles)
    DOWNLOAD

    Image Source : "Aomori Prefecture Council for the Promotion of Improved Dietary Habits"

  • Main lore areas

    Tsugaru Region

  • Main ingredients used

    Red turnips, Salt, Zarame (=Coarse white sugar), Gobai-su(=Vinegar condensed by five times), Kombu (=Kelp)

  • History/origin/related events

    “Akakabu no senmaizuke” refers to traditional red turnip pickles of the Tsugaru region of Aomori prefecture. Red turnips are harvested just before the snowy season begins. They are pickled with Dashi(=Japanese soup stock) made with Kombu(=kelp), vinegar and Zarame(=coarse white sugar), which create a sweet and sour taste. Red turnips have been cultivated in Tsugaru for a long time and it has a soft flesh which makes it suitable for pickling. The skin and flesh are both red and once vinegar is added, the vinegar turns into a beautiful red color. It adds a colorful element to the rest of the dishes being served. The Tsugaru area has a snowy winter which makes vegetables scarce and “Akakabu no senmaizuke” is a popular recipe to make at the end of autumn to last until the following spring.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    Red turnips are harvested in late fall. In the past, they were pickled in large wooden barrels and eaten daily during the winter. Red turnips are pickled throughout the cold winter which removes their bitterness and makes them taste mild and sweet. The pickles go well with rice or as a snack for drinks. Recently, red turnips are stored under the snow after being harvested, which make them even sweeter.

  • How to eat

    Cut the red turnips into thin quarter slices and rub salt into them. After that, put a weight on them. Drain the water from the turnips and pickle them in Zarame(=coarse white sugar), Kombu(=kelp) and vinegar. Adding the vinegar turns the pickles into the beautiful red color. If eaten right away, the bitterness and spiciness of the turnips will remain but after pickling them for a while, the taste becomes sweet and mellow. Depending on the thickness of the turnip slices, the texture changes. Thin slices become soft and thicker slices become chewy.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)
    The Iwaki area of Hirosaki city is famous for its pickles and the pickles from this area are referred to as “Iwaki pickles”. To preserve traditional pickle recipes, the area is making efforts to hold workshops and communicate recipes online using videos. Local companies are also promoting the “Akakabu no senmaizuke” recipe to younger generations.

RECIPE

Ingredients (to fill an 18-liter container)

  • Red turnips 10kg
  • Salt 300g
  • Zarame (=coarse white sugar) 800g
  • Gobai-su (=vinegar condensed by five times) 160ml
  • Kombu (=kelp) 15cm piece

How to cook

  • 1. Cut the red turnips into 2 to 3mm thick slices.

  • 2. Place the cut turnips inside the container/barrel. Soak in some salt with a salt percentage of 3% and leave for one week. Place a weight on top which is twice as heavy as the weight of the red turnips.

  • 3. Take the red turnips out of the container/barrel. Put the red turnips, Zarame(=coarse white sugar), Gobai-su(=vinegar condensed by five times), and some briefly baked Kombu(=kelp) cut into 1cm cube shapes in another container/barrel. Place a weight on top which is 1/5 of the weight of the red turnips.

  • 4. The pickles are ready to eat in about one week.

  • 5. Make sure that the right amount of weight is placed on top of the red turnips. The first time, the weight should be heavy and the second time, the weight should be much lighter.

provider : "Guidebook for the transmission of food culture" (Aomori Prefecture)

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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