Sansho Leaf Tsukudani with Dried Whitebait
Quick answer
- Total time
- 30 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 4
About this dish
A small spoonful is enough to flavor a bowl of rice: young sansho leaves bring a bright, citrusy aroma and a faint tingle on the tongue, and dried whitebait adds salty savoriness.
Read more
The preserve comes from the mountain villages of Kyoto, where sansho trees grew wild and the spring shoots, called kinome, were cooked down with sake and light soy sauce until almost no liquid remained. Spoon a little over rice, onigiri, ochazuke, udon, or chilled tofu.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Swish the sansho leaves repeatedly in cold water and remove tough stems, dry leaves, and debris.
Shake dry and chop evenly to 3 to 5 mm.
- 2
Spread the chopped leaves thinly in a heatproof sieve and pour boiling water slowly over every surface.
Leave for 30 seconds, then squeeze lightly.
- 3
Put the leaves in a small heavy pan and stir over medium heat for 1 minute to evaporate remaining water.
Add the sake and light soy sauce and mix evenly.
- 4
Add the chirimen-jako and reduce to medium-low.
Stir and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, scraping the bottom, until almost no seasoning liquid remains.
- 5
Spread thinly on a wide plate to cool briefly and divide among four small bowls.
Cool any portion not eaten immediately completely before sealing in a clean container and refrigerating.
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
「京ごちそうさまお母さんの味」（京都府生活研究グループ連絡協議会） · Checked: 2026-08-11
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Tamago Fuwafuwa (Fluffy Egg and Clear Dashi Soup)
light soy sauce
Su no Shui (Warm Grated Daikon and Sardine Vinegar Soup)
light soy sauce
Ohitashi (Seri and Spinach in Dashi)
light soy sauce