# Achara-zuke Pickles ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Achara-zuke Pickles

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Fukuoka region

## Main Ingredients Used
Quick-pickling melon, eggplant, lotus root, cloud ear mushrooms, burdock root, quick-cooking kelp, carrot

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Achara-zuke is a vinegared dish of chopped seasonal vegetables with red chili pepper. The refreshing sweetness and sourness are accented by the spiciness of the red chili pepper. Since the days when there were no refrigerators, achara-zuke has been valued as a long-lasting summer dish.The word “achara-zuke” is written “阿茶羅漬け" in Chinese characters and is said to be derived from the Portuguese word “achar,” which means pickled vegetables or fruits. Other Asian countries besides Japan also have words for pickles with similar pronunciations, such as “charre” and “ochore.” However, there are various theories as to the origin of the word, as it is said to mean “over there,” which implies foreign countries, and to refer to “Nanban-style pickles.”Hakata Bay has long flourished as a trading hub. It is said that achara-zuke were introduced to Japan through the Nanban trade, a period in history covering the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early Edo period (1603-1868). It is also believed that red chili pepper, an essential ingredient for achara-zuke pickles, was introduced to Japan during the same period.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Since ancient times, achara-zuke pickles have been prepared during the Bon Festival as on offering or to welcome visitors coming to pray for their ancestors. Odd numbers of crunchy summer vegetables such as quick-pickling melon, lotus root, and carrot are used for good luck. Nowadays, the pickles are also a regular feature on everyday dinner tables, with the ingredients varying from household to household.

## How to Eat
Cut white gourd and eggplant into thin slices and rub them with salt. Then cut the other ingredients into thin slices, boil, and let them cool. Pour sweetened vinegar mixed with seasonings and red chili pepper over the quick-pickling melon, eggplant, and other ingredients until just covered. Let the vegetables sit for a while so that the flavors develop before serving.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Even today, achara-zuke pickles are a familiar home-made dish. They are also served as part of school lunches and are well known among younger generations.

## Ingredients
- Quick-pickling melon （cucumber）: 200 g（2）
- Eggplant: 100 g（1）
- Lotus root: 100 g
- Carrot: 50 g （1／2）
- Cloud ear mushrooms: 10 g
- Perilla: 5 g
- Ginger: 10 g
- 【Seasoning A】 Vinegar: 7 ml
- 【Seasoning A】 Stock: 30 ml
- 【Seasoning A】 Salt: 3～4 g
- 【Seasoning A】 Sugar: 20 g

## Recipe
1. 1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, stock, and red chili pepper.
2. 2. Split the quick-pickling melon in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut into thin slices and massage with salt. Also cut the eggplant into thin slices and massage with salt.
3. 3. Cut the lotus root and carrot into thin slices, blanch them, drain off the water, and let them cool.
4. 4. Wash the salted cucumber and eggplant and drain off the water.Cut the cloud ear mushrooms into thin strips.
5. 5. Pickle 3 and 4 in 1.

## Provider Information
provider : Faculty of Nutritional Sciences, Nakamura Gakuen University

![Image](Not found)