Kakinamasu (Daikon and Dried Persimmon Namasu)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 20 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Kakinamasu is a Shimane vinegared salad that combines daikon and carrot softened in brine with strips of well-dried persimmon.
Read more
Cutting the vegetables into thin 5 cm batons and soaking them in salt water relaxes their rigid texture while retaining a clean crunch. After they are squeezed very dry, seeded persimmon strips are added with vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt. A short refrigerated rest lets the concentrated fruit sweetness spread through the sharp dressing without making the vegetables watery. Saijo persimmons, representative of Shimane, begin as an astringent fruit and become still sweeter when dried. Their reddish color, together with carrot, contrasts with the white daikon. This red-and-white appearance is considered auspicious, so kakinamasu has long been served at celebratory banquets and as a standard New Year dish.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Peel the daikon and cut it into thin batons about 5 cm long and 1 cm wide.
Cut the carrot to the same length and thickness so both vegetables soften evenly.
- 2Season
Dissolve the tablespoon of brining salt completely in the brine water.
Add the daikon and carrot, turn them so all surfaces contact the brine, and leave until pliable enough to bend without snapping.
- 3Prep
Split the dried persimmon lengthwise, remove its seed and any firm stem end, and cut it into long thin strips that will distribute easily among the vegetables.
- 4Step
When the daikon and carrot bend easily, lift them from the brine and squeeze firmly with both hands or a clean cloth.
Remove moisture until no more water runs out under pressure.
- 5Finish
Stir the rice vinegar, sugar, and dressing salt in a clean bowl until the sugar dissolves.
Add the squeezed vegetables and persimmon, toss thoroughly, and refrigerate briefly for the flavors to settle before dividing among four plates.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Daikon and carrot are cut into thin 5 cm batons and softened in brine.
- Finish cue
- Stir the rice vinegar, sugar, and dressing salt in a clean bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- Storage and reheating
- A short refrigerated rest lets the concentrated fruit sweetness spread through the sharp dressing without making the vegetables watery.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
20min, 8 ingredients
Category median
25min, 8 ingredients
Based on 167 recipes
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