Nara-zuke - Traditional Foods in Japan | Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Fermented foods

NaraNara-zuke

Classification (Large)

Agricultural products

Classification (Small)

Pickled

Main ingredients used

Shirouri melon, salt, sake lees

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Photo credits:Nara Prefecture

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Region of inheritance

Nara City, all regions of Nara Prefecture

Product overview (special characteristics and types)

Nara-zuke is a pickle that is made from immersing a vegetable first in salt and then in the lees of sake (yeast deposits from the alcohol fermentation process) . The sake lees are replaced several times and through this repeated pickling, the vegetable turns a dark amber color. This particularly unique way of utilizing sake lees for multiple infusions imbues the vegetable with the scent of sake and the flavor of rice. It is often eaten with rice due to its saltiness.
Shirouri melon is used for Nara-zuke, along with numerous other fruits and vegetables.

History and culture

The earliest historical mention of Nara-zuke was found in excavations of Heijo-kyo, the capital of Japan during the Nara period. The name of the food was recorded on wooden tablets as “Kasuzuke,” evidencing that the consumption of pickles started more than 1300 years ago.
The sediment of a cloudy, unfiltered sake, called “doburoku,” was used to pickle pre-salted vegetables after the top part of the sake was drunk. This practice indicated the origins of preserved food and pickles. Because alcohol was a precious commodity of the time, it is thought that Nara-zuke was consumed by the upper class.
During the Muromachi period, people started producing filtered sake. Sake lees became more widely used as a result, leading to the Nara-zuke that we know of now. The food became commercialized when a doctor from Nara, Itoya Sosen, manufactured and sold pickles of shirouri melon steeped in sake lees, all throughout the periods of Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo.
Nara-zuke has enjoyed widespread popularity due to the variety of its ingredients and is now well-known as a specialty of Nara Prefecture. Throughout the nation, the production process called “Nara-zuke” is a name familiar to all.

Production method

First, a vegetable is covered in salt. This curing process lasts from a month to even half a year, in some cases. Next, the sake lees are firmly stepped on and kneaded before the cured vegetables are pickled in them. The number of times and how often the vegetables are taken out and pickled again depends on the crop used, the season, and the manufacturer; there are pickles that are ready in three months, while others may take up to a year and a half.
Though pickling the vegetables in sake lees draws out the salt, the higher alcohol content ensures the pickles have a longer shelf life and enhanced flavor.
Nara-zuke is being made painstakingly through the skills and wisdom of experts, who balance the flavors by carefully monitoring every part of the production process.

Conservation and succession efforts

The Nara Prefecture Tsukemono Cooperative was formed with the aim of modernizing the Japanese pickle industry, enhancing economic viability, and elevating the status of pickled products in society. The Cooperative is responsible for publicity, research, the organizing of group buying events, and other activities pertaining to the promotion of Nara Prefecture’s Japanese pickles.
Apart from the more traditional shirouri melon pickle, other varieties of Nara-zuke have also been developed by specialty stores, who have made pickles out of vegetables like eggplant, cucumber, watermelon, Japanese plum, ginger, celery, daikon radish, carrot, and garlic. There are many flavor profiles available as well: Japanese style, chili oil, spicy miso, and salt-based sauce, among others.

Main consumption method

Nara-zuke can be served as a side dish with rice, as refreshments accompanying tea, with meat, or with vegetables. It has great range as a culinary complement, being used in salads and appetizers, snacks and ice cream, and even as a pairing for cream cheese.

At-home recipes：Yamato Kikuna and Nara-zuke Salad(Serves 4)

Ingredients

Yamato Kikuna

6 heads (may be replaced with Shungiku)

Canned tuna

1 small can

Nara-zuke

30 g

(A) Mayonnaise: 2 tbsp 　Vinegar: 1 tbsp　Cooking oil: 1 tsp

How to make

Tear the Yamato Kikuna into bite-sized pieces.

Drain the liquid from the tuna can. Chop the Nara-zuke finely and combine with the tuna.

Mix all the ingredients in (A) together to make the dressing.

Place the Yamano Kikuna on a plate or other dish, then pour the mixture from Step 2 on top before covering with the dressing in Step 3.

Recipe credit : Nara Prefecture