Tsukemono


Tsukemono are Japanese preserved vegetables. They are served with rice as an okazu, with drinks as an otsumami, as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a course in the kaiseki portion of a Japanese tea ceremony.

Alternate names

Tsukemono are also referred to as konomono, oshinko or okōko, all carrying the meaning of "fragrant dish" in Japanese. The ko or kō portion in these names literally means "fragrant", and the term was used as a nyōbō kotoba or "woman's word" for miso in reference to the smell. Over time, this term was also applied to pickles, again for the smell. Oshinko more specifically referred to vegetables that had been only lightly pickled and that had not yet changed color that much. The term is now also used more broadly to refer to pickles in general.

Making tsukemono

To make tsukemono, one needs a container, salt, and something to apply downward pressure on top of the pickles.
A tsukemonoki is a Japanese pickle press. The pressure is generated by heavy stones called tsukemono ishi with a weight of one to two kilograms, sometimes more. This type of pickle press is still in use, and can be made from a variety of materials, such as plastic, wood, glass or ceramic. Before tsukemono ishi came into use, the pressure was applied by driving a wedge between a handle of the container and its lid.
The weights are either stone or metal, with a handle on top and often covered with a layer of food-neutral plastic. Another modern type of pickle press is usually made from plastic, and the necessary pressure is generated by turning a screw and clamping down onto the pickles.
Asazuke is a pickling method characterized by its short preparation time.
TypeKanjiPickling Ingredient
Shiozuke塩漬けsalt
Suzuke酢漬けvinegar
Amasuzuke甘酢漬けsugar and vinegar
Misozuke味噌漬けmiso
Shoyuzuke醤油漬けsoy sauce
Kasuzuke粕漬けsake kasu
Koji塩麹mold-cultured rice
Nukazuke糠漬けrice bran
Karashizukeからし漬けhot mustard
Satozuke砂糖漬けsugar

Tsukemono types

, umeboshi, turnip, cucumber, and Chinese cabbage are among the favorites to be eaten with rice as an accompaniment to a meal.
Beni shōga is used as a garnish on okonomiyaki, takoyaki and yakisoba.
Gari is used between dishes of sushi to cleanse the palate.
Rakkyōzuke is often served with Japanese curry. Rakkyōzuke has a very mild and "fresh" taste. It is pickled and used to balance the stronger flavors of some other component in a meal.
Fukujinzuke is a mixture of daikon, eggplant, lotus root and cucumber which is pickled and flavored with soy sauce.
Bettarazuke is a kind of pickled daikon popular in Tokyo.
Matsumaezuke is a pickled dish made from surume, konbu, kazunoko, carrot and ginger with a mixture of sake, soy sauce and mirin.
Nozawana is a pickled leaf vegetable typical of Nagano Prefecture.

Tsukemono tariffs

According to EU and US trade code definitions, tsukemono are classified as 'preserved vegetables' rather than 'pickles' because they are not primarily preserved in acetic acid or distilled vinegar. They have a different tax rate than western pickles.