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  7. Akakabu-zuke (Pickled Red Turnips)

Akakabu-zuke (Pickled Red Turnips) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Niigata Prefecture

    Akakabu-zuke (Pickled Red Turnips)

Akakabu-zuke (Pickled Red Turnips)

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  • Main lore areas

    Sanpoku Area of Murakami City (and some surrounding Areas)

  • Main ingredients used

    Red turnip, Salt

  • History/origin/related events

    In the Sanpoku district of Murakami City, located on the border with Yamagata Prefecture, slash-and-burn fields are planted in mid-August to grow red turnips. Yakibata was one of the primitive farming methods often practiced in mountainous areas where arable land was scarce, but it has declined with the passage of time. Today, it is practiced only in the Sanpoku district of Murakami City, Tsuruoka City (formerly Atsumi Town, Nishitagawa County) in Yamagata Prefecture, and Shiiba Village, Higashi-usuki-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture.
    In Niigata Prefecture, the Sanpoku district and the mountainous area of Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture are said to be the best places to grow red turnips, and pickled red turnips are made from turnips grown in these areas. It is said that the red turnips of Sanpoku, which grow on the slopes of the mountains, do not produce the distinctive red color of turnips grown in other areas or fields, and the bright red color is due to the native pigment of the turnips. The ashes from the burning process, which sterilizes the soil, are used as a high-quality fertilizer, resulting in a darker color, a beautifully flattened shape, and a good texture. Once harvested, the turnips are carefully prepared and pickled. Sometimes salt made from seawater from the local Sasagawa Stream is used. In regions with deep snow, it was eaten as a preserved food for the long winter.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    In late autumn, around November when the weather turns cold, red turnips are harvested. The picked turnips are pickled in a seasoning solution of salt, vinegar, sugar, and shochu (distilled spirit). They are made and eaten when the weather turns cold for the purpose of long-term preservation.

  • How to eat

    Each household has its own way of pickling and seasoning, and the temperature and humidity vary depending on the season, so the finished product will differ slightly. For quick consumption, thinly sliced or thinly diced shredded pickles are used, while for long-term storage, thickly sliced "kiri-zuke" or "maruzuke" are used. The finished pickled akababu is eaten as it is or served with tea.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)
    Even now, when red turnips are harvested, they are made at home. It is sold at local pickle stores, supermarkets, direct sales outlets, roadside stations (roadside farmar's market stop), and souvenir stores, and can also be obtained by mail order.

RECIPE

Ingredients (1 container of pickles)

  • Red turnip 1kg
  • [Seasoning A] Salt 3 tbsp.
  • [Seasoning A] Water 2 cups
  • [Seasoning B] Sanbai-zu(sweet and sour soy dressing) 4 tbsp.
  • [Seasoning B] Sugar 80g
  • [Seasoning B] Shochu 2 tbsp.

How to cook

  • 1. Wash red turnip well and soak in seasoning A for 1 week.

  • 2. Drain off the soaked turnips in a colander.

  • 3. Mix seasoning B in a bowl.

  • 4. Put the under-soaked turnips into the bowl, put them in a barrel and put a weight on it.

provider : Niigata no Okazu (Kaiko-sha)By: Niigata Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Committee Council, published by Kaikosha

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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