The 3 ‘R’s to good eating – Restaurants, Reviews & Recipes

4-page pullout STRIPES OKINAWA E OF OK MARCH 18 – MARCH 31, 2021 AST INAW A T 2 A

BY LINDA LOMBARDI, beets in the fridge that I refused TOFUGU.COM riches I was missing elsewhere In Japan, they’ll pickle anyt hen we think of pickles in the US, it’s mostly the kinds of things are pickled i spear along with our sandwich or the slices on healthy side dishes that add v Wa burger. When I was growing up we had two based on . types, sweet and sour. And maybe there were some pickled If you slet been to Japan, you TOFUGU.COM

and flavorful substances.” That sounds a little scary to me actually but it’s nothing compared to our next example…. NUKA-ZUKE – RICE BRAN PICKLES Rice bran pickles are made by laying vegetables down in a specially prepared bed of rice bran. Boiled water is mixed with the bran. Shio-zuke Then, similar to sourdough bread, you add some of the bed from an old batch that contains microbes to get the lactic acid fermentation process going. It must be mixed up regularly, tradition- MANY WAYS TO ally with your bare hands, to keep all the little mi- crobes growing and healthy. GET IN A PICKLE I’ve never had the privilege of getting close to Tsukemono (漬物 つけもの) is the Japanese word for pickles, derived from tsuke “soaked” one of these beds (although I’ve seen them dis- and mono “things.” You’ll see that most of the played in shops). But The Black Moon says this is Japanese names for different types end in -zuke, how you know when it’s ready: “After a week or so which is the same word as tsuke when it under- the medium should have a heady aroma goes rendaku in the second part of a compound and look like damp sand.” word. Some rice bran pickling beds have been passed But “soaked” is far from the only way that down for generations. It’s an astonishing thought pickles are made. Yes, some are made in liquids in a century where everything in the supermar- AND THE REST…. like , but other methods will probably ket has an expiration date printed on it. Like salt Pickles are also made usin surprise you. pickles, vegetables can be left in briefly or for a The most familiar to us, vine Nuka-zuke long time, up to several months, with different long-term storage. This is be SHIO-ZUKE – SALT PICKLES flavor results. in acid. I make one regularly The original and simplest, there are a couple of different ways of sauce and sugar. Eaten fresh i KASU-ZUKE – LEES PICKLES making salt pickles. Leftovers the next day are mo In one method, the vegetables are sprinkled with salt – although the Sake lees is the solids left over after sake, which is made from rice, What’s that? You’d like to tr word “sprinkled” may be misleading given how much salt is used – and is filtered. Like rice bran, instead of being discarded, people figured lem. Here it is. put in a container. They’re covered with a weight or lid that presses out how to use it to make pickles. Also cured for a variety of lengths down on them, which makes sure the salt penetrates. (Nowadays you of time from a few days to several years, they may actually be slightly Recipe for quick pickled cucu can buy plastic containers that come with a pickle press). The salt alcoholic. Kampai! • Use pickling cucumbers or a makes the water content of the vegetables seep out by osmosis, so the of seeds – they have a bette container needs regular attention to drain the liquid. KOJI-ZUKE – KOJI PICKLES regular American cuke, sco Removing the water from the vegetable concentrates the flavor, and You probably have never heard of koji, but Japanese food wouldn’t • Slice cucumber and cut slic with less water, the vegetables are less susceptible to rotting. Salt pick- exist without it. It’s a microbe (let’s not call it mold, that sounds so un- shred some gingerroot. les can take varied length of time. There’s a version that you just leave appetizing!). This little one-celled friend is responsible for , • For a large cuke, mix 1/4 c s overnight. Another one is measured in months. Pickled plums, for ex- , and sake, and it’s even been proposed that it should be called Ja- about a tablespoon of sugar ample, are supposed to be left in the salt for the whole rainy season. pan’s National Fungus. Koji is mixed with rice to start the fermentation you can go up to 2 T next tim The longer the pickling time, the more intense the flavors. process that results in those fundamental products. And this koji mash • Mix it all up and refrigera In the other method, vegetables are put in salt water in an airtight can also be used to make pickles. These are somewhat sweet because before serving. It’s also go container. As Kikkoman describes it, “in this environment, the enzymes koji produces amylase, an enzyme that produces sugar from the starch (Adapted from a recipe by H in the ingredients break down the food’s components into very different in rice. MARCH 18 – MARCH 31, 2021 E OF OK STRIPES OKINAWA AST INAW A T 3 A

d to eat. Little did I know the these in restaurants (That pickled with your is in the world. one of them). But when you get there, you’ll find all kinds thing that’s not moving. All of mysterious things on little dishes with your fancy din- n different ways, creating ner and tucked in your convenience store . Come along variety to traditional meals with Tofugu on a journey through the wonderful world of Japanese pickles and find out what all those amazing little u may have seen a couple of tidbits are about. File Photos

TSUKEMONO’S LITTLE The result was a fermented product, which ONE-CELLED FRIENDS: is the Japa- lasted a longer time. This was considered a FERMENTATION AND MICROBES nese plum, salt-pickled gift from the gods, and with good reason. Be- Some of these methods may seem weird then dried in the sun. They fore refrigeration, and greenhouses, and fly- to us. In our culture, we think food will spoil come in a variety of sizes ing produce all around the world from places if left out of the refrigerator for five min- and different textures. where seasons are different, there weren’t a utes. How can it possibly be a good idea to They’re colored with red lot of vegetables around in the winter. Pickles put vegetables in a tub of rice bran and leave shiso (an herb) and are were the answer. They preserved spring and them there, at room temperature, sometimes intensely sour. You’ll see summer’s bounty for the cold time of year. for months? And those pots of rice bran have them in bento and inside Now we can buy all kinds of fresh produce been passed down for generations! And peo- rice balls (careful, because they still at any time of year. So they’re no longer nec- ple mix them with their bare hands! Why have the pit). They’re said to have been made essary for providing vitamins and fiber when aren’t people dying of food poisoning left and for over a thousand years, and to have an an- they’re out of season. But right? tibacterial effect that keeps the other foods developed to include them, so a traditional Because these methods actually preserve in your bento fresh. meal doesn’t make sense without them. In food: They encourage good microbes, which is the pickled ginger fact, just rice, soup, and pickles count as a keep out the bad microbes that make you you get with sushi. It’s a complete traditional Japanese meal. Kasu-zuke sick. simple vinegar pickle. Japanese food is often stereotyped as hav- In the US, fermentation is And in case you didn’t ing delicate, subtle flavors. That may fool you the new cool hipster foodie know, you’re supposed to into taking a huge mouthful of pickle, which thing. There’s a kombucha eat it between pieces of could be a shock. Think of them more like a bar at my Whole Foods and sushi to cleanse your pal- condiment. And remember that Japanese cui- a stand at my local farmers ate so you can appreciate the different fla- sine is based around a bowl of rice. Rice is in- market selling kimchee and vors of each kind of fish. Young ginger natu- deed a subtle (some would say bland) food, and . Maybe we’re rally turns pink when pickled. But the bright there’s nothing like a little bit of pickle to kick finally starting to catch up. pink kind you’ll often see is made with artifi- it up a notch when you take a mouthful of rice. But Japanese cuisine al- cial dye. If you watch Japanese cooking shows, ways been all about the fer- is rice-bran you’ll often see them taste something and mentation. As mentioned pickled radish. say “this makes me want to eat a lot of rice.” earlier, miso and soy sauce, It’s usually served in half- That’s tsukemono in a nutshell. Oh, and that’s both fundamental to Japa- moon slices, and makes supposed to be a good thing. nese cooking, are produced a good vegetarian sushi Aside from their flavor, don’t forget how by fermentation. And aside roll filling. Manufactured important presentation is to Japanese food. from those quick vinegar takuan is also often dyed Tsukemono in their varied colors add eye ap- pickles that are more like nowadays, to a bright yellow color. Tradition- peal as well. salads, most of the pickling ally it’s dried in the sun before being pick- Tsukemono-market processes involve fermenta- led, which can make a JAPANESE PICKLES TODAY tion too. pretty awesome photo. Pickles used to be made by hand in each Preserving vegetables this way not only %HQLVKżJD is ginger household, and each tasted a little different. made them last longer when there was no re- in little red strips. You Your mom’s rice bran pickles really were ng soy sauce, miso, and vinegar. frigeration, some methods even made them probably seen these different from everyone else’s, because the egar pickles are not usually for healthier. on top of or microbes on her hands were different. Now, ecause Japanese vinegar is low Some types of pickles aid digestion. Rice . It’s pickled homemade pickles are usually lighter kinds y with vinegar and a little soy bran pickles are high in B vitamins – a vi- in the vinegar used to that only take an hour or a day or two to it’s more like a little side salad. tamin that the Japanese diet was short on make umeboshi pick- make. Most people go to the store and buy ore pickle-y. when it was based mostly on white rice. led plums. So its bright red color ought to the more labor-intensive kinds. ry the recipe yourself? No prob- Rather than throw away the B-vitamin-rich come from the red shiso leaves. Sadly, today As noted above, manufactured pickles are rice bran after it’s removed while making the it is also usually artificially dyed. often made with artificial dyes. Read the in- white rice, pickling with it adds these vita- gredients on the packaged ones. You’ll find umber: mins back into the diet. HOW TO APPROACH they are about as similar to traditionally another type with the minimum A STRANGE TSUKEMONO made pickles as instant is to a real er texture. If you have to use a FAMOUS JAPANESE PICKLES The earliest pickles were vegetables pre- local ramen shop. Remember that many of oop all the seeds out. Japanese people make pickles out of al- served in salt. One legend of the origin of these pickles take days or weeks or even ces in quarters or halves. Finely most every vegetable in so many ways that tsukemono places it at Kayatsu Shrine in months to make in the old-fashioned way. So we could never list all the combinations. Nagoya. The shrine is now nicknamed Tsuke- commercial ones take a lot of shortcuts. soy sauce, 1/4 c and There are local specialties and all kinds of mono Jinja and home to a festival celebrating However, you can still find traditional r. (Start there and experiment – ingredients added for flavor. From herbs and the occasion each August. It’s said that the lo- stores specializing in handmade pickles, me if you want it sweeter.) citrus fruits to ingredients that add cal people there traditionally made offerings which may have hundreds of kinds. You ate for an hour or two or three like seaweed, bonito, and of salt harvested from the sea and the vegeta- should look for them when you’re in Japan, ood but different the next day. mushroom. bles from the first harvest. Because the offer- because even if you don’t buy anything, it’s Harumi Kurihara) But there are a few pickles that you’ll see ings spoiled quickly, someone came up with as much a true traditional Japanese sight as everywhere: the idea to combine them together in a barrel. any temple or rock garden. STRIPES OKINAWA E OF OK MARCH 18 – MARCH 31, 2021 AST INAW A T 4 A

SAKE-CURED SALMON

INGREDIENTS can use cling-film to tightly wrap the salmon • 2 tablespoons sake in the cure, but a zip-lock bag is less fuss). • 50g salt 4. Seal the bag, place on a small tray, place • 50g sugar another tray on top and add cans to weigh it • 200g salmon (skin off) down. • Mitsuba leaves and pink peppercorns, to 5. Place in baking dish and refrigerate for 12 serve hours, then turn the fillet over, ensuring the mix is evenly distributed around the salmon, Servings: 1 and refrigerate for another 12 hours. 6. Carefully remove the salmon from the mix- PREPARATION ture, discarding any liquid. Rinse it gently 1. Combine sake, salt and sugar in a bowl and under cold water and gently pat dry with mix well. paper towel. 2. Rub salmon thoroughly with the mixture, 7. To serve, slice salmon on the diagonal, or then add half the remaining mixture to a zip- cut it into cubes. lock bag and lay it flat. 8. Store any leftover salmon in plastic wrap in 3. Place salmon into the zip-lock bag on top of the refrigerator for up to one week. the layer of curing mixture, then top salmon with remaining mixture (alternatively you - Jessica Thompson, Metropolis

Slurp up yummy noodles at Kadena’s Ramen Bowl Kadena’s newest restaurant is now open! Ramen Bowl inside of the Emery Lanes Bowling Complex has opened to rave reviews. If you are looking for delicious hearty noodles, add this shop to your bucket list. The menu boasts a classic shoyu broth, miso broth and spicy miso broth to tag along with their abundance of toppings, including soft boiled eggs, braised pork, ground pork, , and more. Our friendly staff will make your dish to order to eat in-house or to go. Open seven days a week, be sure to stop by to see what all the hype is about!