Tsukemono: Decoding the Art and Science of Japanese Pickling

Tsukemono is a range of Japanese side dishes known as 'pickled foods' made from vegetables, fruits, flowers, and rhizomes. They are prepared using one or more conservation techniques, such as salt, sugar, vinegar, alcohol, and herbs, and involve dehydration, marinating in salt and acidic liquids, fermentation, and curing. The dish stimulates the appetite, provides delicious taste sensations, and improves digestion. This book discusses the cultural history and traditions associated with tsukemono, provides recipes and techniques for preparing them at home, and describes the healthful benefits and nutritional value of pickles. It encourages readers to expand and diversify their consumption of plant-based foods.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 174 pages
Publication date: 02 July 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

One of the most well-kept culinary secrets in Japan is the wide variety of side dishes known as tsukemono (つけもの,漬物). The word, pronounced 'tskay-moh-noh, means 'something that has been steeped or marinated (tsuke—steeped; mono—things). Although tsukemono are usually made from vegetables, some fruits, flowers, and a few rhizomes are also preserved in this way; it is, therefore, more accurate to characterize them as 'pickled foods. Their preparation involves one or more conservation techniques, involving ingredients such as salt, sugar, vinegar, alcohol, and herbs, in combination with methods including dehydration, marinating in salt and acidic liquids, fermentation, and curing. The process of making tsukemono goes beyond simply preserving otherwise perishable fresh produce. Apart from its nutritional value, the dish stimulates the appetite, provides delicious taste sensations, and improves digestion, all while remaining an elegant study in simplicity and aesthetic presentation.

This book goes well beyond explaining the secrets of making crisp tsukemono. The authors discuss the cultural history and traditions associated with these pickled foods; provide recipes and outline techniques for preparing them at home with local ingredients; describe the healthful benefits and basic nutritional value to be found in the various types of pickles; and show how easy it is to serve them on a daily basis to stimulate the appetite or as condiments to accompany vegetable, fish, and meat dishes. The goal is to encourage the readers of this book to join us in a small culinary adventure that will allow us to expand and diversify our consumption of plant-based foods, which are so vital to our overall well-being. And along the way, there may be a few surprises.

Weight: 296g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030578640
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021