Niigata Kirizai

Quick answer

Total time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Kirizai is an Uonuma-area side dish from Niigata that combines finely chopped Nozawana pickle, fresh daikon, miso-pickled daikon, and toasted sesame, with natto folded in immediately before eating.

Kiri means cutting and zai refers to vegetables. In a snowy region where winter food was limited, households stretched valuable protein-rich natto with leftover pickles and vegetable trimmings, using every scrap carefully. Records even associate the preparation with warriors carrying it as provisions during the Sengoku period. Cutting every vegetable to a similar small size and squeezing it dry preserves crispness, while adding natto last keeps its sticky texture distinct.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
Nozawana pickle	100	g
daikon	200	g
miso-pickled daikon	50	g
natto	40	g
toasted sesame	1	tbsp
salt	0.25	tsp

Instructions

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

4 steps

1

Season

Dice 200g daikon to 5mm, massage with 0.25 teaspoon salt for 2 minutes, rest 10 minutes, rinse once, and squeeze firmly in cloth.
2

Prep

Discard tough leaf tips from 100g Nozawana, chop to 5mm, and squeeze dry.

Dice 50g miso-pickled daikon to 5mm.
3

Prep

Mix both daikons, Nozawana, and 1 tablespoon sesame for 1 minute and refrigerate until serving.
4

Step

Stir 40g natto for 30 seconds, add to vegetables, and fold for only 30 seconds before serving.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Every vegetable finely diced to 5mm
Finish cue: Stir 40g natto for 30 seconds, add to vegetables, and fold for only 30 seconds before serving.
Avoid this: Discard tough leaf tips from 100g Nozawana, chop to 5mm, and squeeze dry.
Storage and reheating: Mix both daikons, Nozawana, and 1 tablespoon sesame for 1 minute and refrigerate until serving.