Sushiko (Lactic-Fermented Glutinous Rice and Vegetables)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 150 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 60 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Sushiko is a preserved food from the northwestern Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture, sometimes described as a pickle made from rice.
Read more
Glutinous rice is steamed and cooled completely. Five kilograms of cucumber and purple cabbage are salt-rubbed to draw out moisture, while red shiso leaves are separately rubbed with salt to remove harshness. Red chili, concentrated five-fold vinegar, and a small amount of white sugar season the vegetables. The cooled rice and prepared vegetables are mixed and packed firmly in layers into a clean 18 L pickling barrel. A weight presses the batch while it rests in a cool place for several days. As lactic fermentation develops, the red color spreads through the rice, the mixture becomes increasingly gooey, and its sourness grows. It is eaten as a side dish with plain rice, with the fermentation time chosen according to the preferred acidity and texture.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Rinse and soak the glutinous rice thoroughly, then steam it until evenly cooked.
Spread it in a wide container to release steam and cool completely through the center.
- 2Season
Cut the cucumbers into manageable pieces and shred the purple cabbage coarsely.
Rub both vegetables evenly with 250 g pickling salt until they release moisture, then press and drain them firmly.
- 3Season
Rub the red shiso leaves firmly, adding the 100 g treatment salt in portions.
When dark liquid emerges, squeeze it out and discard it, then loosen the leaves roughly.
- 4Season
Remove the red chili seeds and slice it thinly.
Combine the drained cucumber and cabbage with the shiso, chili, five-fold concentrated vinegar, and white sugar, mixing evenly.
- 5Season
Combine the completely cooled glutinous rice and seasoned vegetables in a large bowl.
Do not mash the rice completely; fold until the shiso and vegetables are distributed throughout.
- 6Control
Pack the mixture into a clean 18 L pickling barrel in several layers, pressing each one firmly to remove gaps.
Level and cover the surface, add a weight, and leave the barrel in a cool place.
- 7Finish
Keep the batch pressed for several days and check its fermentation.
When the rice is evenly red, the mixture has become gooey, and the preferred sourness has developed, remove portions with a clean utensil and serve as a side dish with rice.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Steamed glutinous rice combines with salt-rubbed cucumber, cabbage, and red shiso.
- Finish cue
- Keep the batch pressed for several days and check its fermentation.
- Avoid this
- Do not mash the rice completely; fold until the shiso and vegetables are distributed throughout.
- Storage and reheating
- Spread it in a wide container to release steam and cool completely through the center.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
150min, 9 ingredients
Category median
33min, 8 ingredients
Based on 152 recipes
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