June 2009Archive

"Pickled Japanese radish" is very delicious and is slightly stinking.

Japanese people like the combination of a white rice and Takuan very much.

Takuan is the pickles of a very salty Japanese radish.
From the strength of the salt, Takuan has been loved as preserved food of winter in Japan.

But it is sold throughout the year now.

	A picture is expanded by click.
	Though Takuan is an existence which does not become the leading role, but it is an existence indispensable for a Japanese. Takuan sees it well in not only a meal in a house but also a restaurant. Yellow food surrounded for the red yen is Takuan.

picture is expanded by click.

 

A picture is expanded by click.

A Takuan is made from "Radish dried in the sun."

The optimal season is the midwinter which a cold wind blows.
The moisture of the radish evaporates by the wind.

Moisture of a Japanese radish is moderately lost in about two weeks.

 

 

 

 

	And the Japanese radish is pickled in a barrel. At this time, it is put into various seasonings together with a Japanese radish. There are yellow and white in the kind of the color of Takuan. White Takuan is a natural color which a Japanese radish has. A special coloring matter is put in yellow Takuan.
A picture is expanded by click.

 

This is just it.

This is "Turmeric.
"Radish" discolors to brindled yellow when exposed to the cold wind.

To conceal the brindled yellow, the radish is colored to yellow.

From such a reason, the color must be yellow.

The place where this work is done should be a low temperature.

It is because the fermentation of the radish advances when it is a warm place.

It is rare to make Takuan at home in present Japan.

My grandmother was making Takuan in the winter of every year.
The radish sleeps during winter in the barrel in this way.

And Takuan is taken out little by little from barrel, and is eaten.

Takuan is sold in this way now in the food shop.

Since this is a vacuum packing, it is very nonperishable.

When I compare it in childhood, it is very convenient about anything now.

In Japan, all became convenient like TAKUAN.

But, the Japanese is wasting the thing on the other hand.

The Japanese throws away food at once though most of food is imported from the foreign country.

Food thrown away for the reason the expiration date passed.
Leftovers in restaurant.

Food that rots without being bought haphazardly, and being used.
Electrical appliances exchanged for new product though it is not broken.

 

The Japanese seems to have forgotten the spirit that treasure the thing.

Hararie

 

Amazon sells Japanese たくあん(TAKUAN)

       

かつおたくあん 1個 Katsio-Takuan   Shiki shunsai kan	Product Description
	Katsio-Takuan made in Shiki shunsai kan The radish in Miyazaki Prefecture is used for Katsuo-Takuan. This Takuan has the flavor of Katsuobushi. And, it has ripened by fermentation. Preservatives and a coloring agent and a chemical seasoning are not used for this Takuan. It is a simple and handmade taste.
奥入瀬大根 （たまり漬） Oirase Daikon(tamarizuke)   Aomoriya	Product Description
	Oirase daikon(tamari-duke) made in Aomoriya The radish that grew up in the Oirase town in Aomori Prefecture is used for this Takuan. Oirase is a town with clear water and clean air. This is Takuan of the low salt made in the short span of time. It is a light taste.
マルシェ　たくあん　一本 Marche Takuan   Macrobiotics Marche	Product Description
	Marche Takuan made in Macrobiotics Marche The radish used for this Takuan is a radish dried in the sun. Therefore, various nutrients such as the vitamins are contained in this Takuan. "Rice bran" is indispensable for the Takuan manufacturing. Nuka used for this Takuan is high-level rice bran grown in Shinshu. This Takuan has a smell flavor and a high nutritive value.

 

* (Originally, all Takuan has bad smell. )

 

 

This is a kitchen of my house.

My husband is a craftsman of sushi with 20 years or more of experience.
He makes sushi sometimes in this way at home for me.

The rice used for sushi is called "Shari".

 

 

 

The rice used for sushi is boiled with a rice cooker.

 

There are many kinds of rice cookers in Japan !

Click!

 

This rice cooker is very excellent.
The rice cooker always boils delicious rice.
But, I have made a mistake in the amount of water on this day.
Boiled rice was somewhat harder.
For my mistake, he was not able to make sushi as always.

To tell the truth, I am very careless.
But, the sushi that he had made for me on this day was very delicious.

 

By Haraie