Drink like a Japanese- drink with Tsukemono (漬物)

Tsukemono (漬物) are Japanese preserved vegetables that are usually pickled in salt, nuka (糠/rice bran), sake lees(粕/kasu), soy sauce (醤油/Shoyu), vinegar(酢/su) or miso(味噌). They are served with rice as a side dish, with drinks as a snack and as an accompaniment to garnish for meals. Tsukemono are an important part of Japanese diet. They are used as a garnish, relish, condiment, palate cleanser or digestive. Most vegetables and fruits can be used to make tsukemono, with the more common ones being cucumber, daikon(radish), eggplant, carrot, cabbage, ginger, plums etc. 

Many hardcore sake lovers like to have tsukemono with sake as it has unique flavours. And they come in small portions so that you have plenty of room in your stomach for the sake!

To complete an authentic Japanese sake experience, let's try out our very simple but deliciously refreshing Asazuke (i.e. the fast-making Tsukemono) which only pickled overnight.

Okra no Tsukemono 秋葵漬物

Ingredients: 

Okra one package 

Ginger 20g

Dashi 300ml - I used kombu dashi

- wash and boil okra for 2 mins

- when it gets cooled down, put the okra into a jar

- prepare the dashi of your choice and leave it to chill 

- put the chilled dashi and sliced ginger into the jar

- leave it at room temperature over night and put in the fridge to preserve