Wasabi-Zuke (Wasabi Pickled in Sake Lees)
Quick answer
- Active time
- 30 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 5
About this dish
Finely chopped wasabi stems and root are folded into sake lees sweetened with sugar, and after a few days the sharp nasal heat of wasabi cuts through the fermented aroma of the lees.
Read more
After Shizuoka Station opened in 1889, the pickle began selling inside the station and became a standard regional souvenir; it is still eaten in small amounts with hot rice or sake.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Wash the wasabi stems and roots in cold water and dry them.
Scrape away dark areas on the roots and finely slice everything into 3 to 5 mm pieces. Toss evenly with salt, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- 2
Break the sake lees into small pieces in a large bowl and add the sugar.
Add the sake in three portions, pressing and kneading with a spatula until the paste is smooth, thick, and free of lumps.
- 3
Wrap the salted wasabi in a clean cloth and press firmly with both hands to remove as much liquid as possible.
Add the drained wasabi to the sake-lees paste and fold from the bottom until every piece is coated evenly.
- 4
Pack the mixture tightly into a heat-sanitized, fully dried airtight container and level the surface.
Close and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. When the wasabi aroma becomes pronounced and the flavors meld, serve a small amount with rice or sake using a clean spoon.
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
Checked: 2026-08-11
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