# Natazuke Pickles ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Natazuke Pickles

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
All districts within the prefecture

## Main Ingredients Used
Daikon, amazake

## History, Origin, and Related Events
“Nadazuke” are made by pickling daikon radishes cut by a hatchet (nada in Japanese) in amazake (sweet sake).The three great gakko (pickles) of Akita prefecture are iburigakko (smoked daikon), sotoboshi (outdoor dried pickles), and namazuke (raw pickles). As well as pickled persimmons, there are a variety of raw pickles such as natazuke, named after the thick bladed hatchets (the kind normally used to remove tree branches) that are used to roughly chop the daikon.The forestry industry was very successful in Akita due to the prefecture having a number of different types of timber including natural Akita cedar, thus it was very common for households to own a hatchet.. As cutting daikon with a hatchet causes the flesh to fray when coming in contact with the blade, the flavors sink deep into it, even when cut into thick pieces. A distinct characteristic of natazuke is that it retains the quality of the daikon’s crunchy texture and the natural sweetness of koji (malted rice).Gakko are so essential to the people of Akita prefecture that apart from being used for everyday meals, bento boxes, as well as accompaniments for alcohol, eating gakko with tea is such a popular way to enjoy them that they have the phrase “gakko chakko” (gakko and tea).

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Namazuke is one of the gakko eaten during the coldest time of the year. They are an essential everyday ingredient, often enjoyed at mealtimes and with tea.

## How to Eat
Remove the skin from the daikon and cut to preference, place on a draining basket, and pour over boiling water. Pickle in salt for approximately one to two hours then remove any liquid, and pickle for an additional week in amazake and sugar.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)It’s eaten in each household so much that it is said that it has enough flavor for each dining table.

## Ingredients
- Daikon: 2kg
- Salt: 40g
- Sugar: 60g
- Amazake (ready made): 400 cc
- small red chili pepper: 1

## Recipe
1. 1. Remove the skin from the daikon and chop into bite-sized chunks as if you are slicing into it with a hatchet.
2. 2. Place the chopped daikon on a draining basket and roughly scald with boiling water. Transfer to a tub, pour over the salt, and mix well.
3. 3. Pickle for one to two days.
4. 4. After removing any excess water, add the sugar and amazake.
5. 5. Sprinkle over the red chili pepper.
6. 6. Mix well.
7. 7. Secure the lid with a weight and leave to pickle.
8. 8. It will be ready to eat after approximately one week.

## Provider Information
provider : “Akita Kyomi(=local cuisine) Fudoki” (Akita Prefecture Rural Life Research Group Council)

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