Takuan Pickled Radish

This intensely yellow radish will often be encountered in Japanese cuisine. Takuan is a very popular side dish that complements a variety of Japanese dishes as well as bento boxes (lunch boxes). Takuan is one of the Tsukemono – pickled vegetables that play a large role in Japanese food. The starting product is the daikon radish, which can be compared to the German winter radish. This is dried for a few weeks until it is soft and pliable, and then pickled for a total of 6 months. The bright yellow color is created during the pickling process. Today, however, this is often helped with food coloring – both natural and artificial. How do you eat Takuan? Takuan is often served with rice and other dishes, but is also very popular with sushi. Takuan is especially common in Futo Maki (a sushi variety that is very wide and thick) and in Temaki-Sushi (a variant that visually resembles a school cone). However, Takuan is also served at the end of the meal, as it – like all Tsukemono – is exceptionally good for digestion.