For Australia-based cookbook author Yoko Nakazawa, pickles are an essential food. She shares three of her favourites, including yuzu daikon amazu zuke
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’ve been eating pickles made from different vegetables in various ways since I was little. Every meal included some kind of pickle on our table. I grew up in Japan and pickles were also included in bento boxes, whether it was homemade, an Ekiben from the station, or a convenience-store bento. If there aren’t any pickles on the table, I feel like something is missing.
Pink radish amazu zuke (sweet pickle), below, is a great way to brighten up your plate, and it’s incredibly easy to make. When preparing it, the radish initially loses its colour, which transfers into the pickling liquid. After a few days, the liquid turns the radish into a beautiful, vibrant pink.
I find the colour is perfect by the third day. You can keep it longer if you want but, interestingly, if you leave it too long the colour fades again.
