Wariboshi Daikon Harihari-zuke

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients: 9

About this dish

Wariboshi daikon harihari-zuke is a pickle from Miura in Kanagawa, combining thick split-dried daikon with kombu, dried squid, and chile in a sweet soy-vinegar brine.

Miura families traditionally split winter daikon lengthwise into sixteen to twenty sections and sun-dried it for about two weeks. The thicker pieces keep a firm, crackling bite unlike finely shredded dried radish. For home handling, the vinegar brine is brought to a boil, cooled completely, and poured over commercial dried ingredients, with the container held at 4°C or colder throughout curing.

Ingredients (5 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
commercial split-dried daikon	100	g
kombu	10	g
ready-to-eat dried squid	10	g
dried red chiles	4	pieces
water	200	ml
soy sauce	60	ml
rice vinegar	35	ml
sugar	35	g
mirin	15	ml

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Quickly rinse 100g split-dried daikon twice in cold water to remove dust, then drain 10 minutes.

Without fully soaking it, cut into 1cm lengths.
2

Prep

Cut 10g kombu and 10g ready-to-eat dried squid into thin 3cm strips.

Remove stems and seeds from 4 dried chiles and slice into 2mm rings.
3

Season

Combine 200ml water, 60ml soy sauce, 35ml rice vinegar, 35g sugar, and 15ml mirin.

Boil fully for 1 minute, then set the pan over ice water and cool below 10°C.
4

Control

Mix daikon, kombu, dried squid, and chile in a sanitized dry glass container.

Pour in the cold brine, press all solids below the liquid with a sanitized weight, and cover.
5

Finish

Refrigerate immediately at 4°C or colder and turn once daily with clean chopsticks.

Taste from day 4; serve when seasoned through but still firm, and remove the weight no later than day 6.
6

Step

Use clean tongs for every serving, keep at 4°C or colder, and consume within 10 days from the start of curing.

Discard without tasting if mold, abnormal bubbles or gas, slime, or putrid odor appears.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Firm bite from thick split-dried daikon
Finish cue: Use clean tongs for every serving, keep at 4°C or colder, and consume within 10 days from the start of curing.
Storage and reheating: Refrigerate immediately at 4°C or colder and turn once daily with clean chopsticks.