Nata-zuke (Daikon Pickled in Amazake)
Quick answer
- Active time
- 30 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 20 servings
- Ingredients
- 5
About this dish
Daikon split at an angle into thick, rough chunks soaks up sweet amazake, a thick, lightly fermented rice drink, while the center stays crunchy.
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Everything stays at 4°C or below from the first salting through storage. Mold, an off smell or unusual sliminess means the batch is discarded without tasting.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Wash the pickling container and weight plate and dry them completely.
Peel 2000g daikon, angle the knife into it, and split off thick, irregular bite-size chunks rather than making smooth slices.
- 2
Spread the daikon in a large colander, quickly pour boiling water over every piece, and drain thoroughly.
While still slightly warm, transfer it to the container, sprinkle evenly with 40g salt, and turn the pieces to distribute it.
- 3
Set the plate directly on the daikon and add a clean weight equal to about half the daikon's weight.
Cover and refrigerate at 4°C or below for 24 to 48 hours for the preliminary cure.
- 4
Pour off all liquid collected in the container without squeezing the daikon.
Add 60g sugar and 400ml prepared amazake and mix thoroughly with a clean spatula so the mixture reaches the rough surfaces.
- 5
Stem and seed 1 small dried red chili, slice it thinly, and scatter it over the daikon.
Mix again, replace the plate and weight, cover, and mature under refrigeration at 4°C or below for about 7 days.
- 6
After 7 days, serve with clean tongs when the daikon is crisp and carries the mild sweetness and fresh aroma of amazake.
If mold, an unpleasant odor, or unusual slime appears, discard the batch without tasting. Keep the finished pickle refrigerated.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- 일본 농림수산성 うちの郷土料理
『あきた郷味風土記』（秋田県農山漁村生活研究グループ協議会） · Checked: 2026-08-11
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