This is a standard plate served at meals in our house, in Korea they do the same. Called banchan, they are set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course, such as galbi or bulgogi, and a shared pot of jjigae. Bowls of cooked rice and guk (soup) are set individually. Banchan are served in small portions, meant to be finished at each meal and are replenished during the meal if not enough.
This method of eating allows each person to customize their dish to with flavor, heat, and spice.
Who can guess the condiments in the photo?
I start you off with B.R. – gochujang – hot fermented chili paste
B.L. – fresh Japanese wasabi paste
Good luck!
Fermented & pickled condiments in the Korean Style
Here’s part two of our Blog on Tsukemono
type pickles from Japan.
These are great for eating plain or a side dish,
a condiment, or mixed with plain rice!
Listed below are recipes that have been modified from the traditional form for the USA consumer as some ingredients are hard to find. What is Tsukemono?
Tsukemono (漬物?, literally “pickled things”) are Japanese style preserved vegetables (usually pickled in salt, brine, or a bed of nuka rice bran). Many are served with rice as an okazu (side dish), with drinks as an otsumami (snack), as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a course in the kaiseki portion of a Japanese tea ceremony.
Type
Kanji
Pickling Ingredient
Shiozuke
塩漬け
salt
Suzuke
酢漬け
vinegar
Amasuzuke
甘酢漬け
sugar and vinegar
Misozuke
味噌漬け
miso
Shoyuzuke
醤油漬け
soy sauce
Kasuzuke
粕漬け
sake kasu (sake lees)
Koji
塩麹
malted rice
Nukazuke
糠漬け
rice bran
Karashizuke
からし漬け
hot mustard
Satozuke
砂糖漬け
sugar
Today we’ll look at some new recipes that you can make at home. Place in the refrigerator and they can last for weeks…
Shibadsuke –
Sliced cucumber and tree ear mushroom salted and pickled with red shiso.
To make yourself, use any hearty mushroom that will hold it’s shape.
– Start by cutting fresh cucumber in half, removing the seeds and skin, then cut into thin strips.
– Soak the mushrooms, if dried, in enough water to cover. Once soft cut into thin strips. We used shiitake mushrooms.
– Bring the required amount(dependent on batch size) of rice wine vinegar to a boil, remove from heat, and add the shiso leaf and mushrooms. Allow to simmer until colour turns red and taste develops. If you don’t have shiso leaf try a Japanese shop or grow your own. You may be able to find the leaf already pickled, too.
– Remove from heat and add the cucumber slices. Mix together.
Add sea salt to taste. Allow mixture to set covered with vinegar at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Then pack into jars and keep in refrigerator. Will keep for a month or more if kept cold and under brine. Hint: Add a little extra vinegar if liquid is not enough.
Here’s a photo of our results…
Sesame & Kombu –
Strip of kombu vegetable is cooked with sugar and soy sauce with bonito dashi. This is one of our favorites hands down. The saltiness of the sea combined with sweet sugar and rich soy sauce!
This Japanese quick pickle is easy to make…
– Start by washing the kombu and soaking until soft.
– With the kombu soaking, make a dashi broth by bringing the amount of water needed to a boil. Once water boils, remove from heat and add bonito flakes (a type of dried fish, shaved very thin). For good flavor you’ll want about a 1/2oz per 4 cups water. Once flakes the are steeped, strain liquid to remove the flakes. We like to eat the fish flakes, so they don’t have to be removed.
– Cut the kombu into thin strips
– Place the cut kombu into the broth and add sugar and soy sauce to taste.
– Allow to simmer until liquid concentrates then add the sesame seeds at the end. Adjust sugar and soy as needed, to taste.
Allow mixture to set covered with vinegar at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Then pack into jars and keep in refrigerator. Will keep for a month or more if kept cold and under brine.
Here’s a photo of our results…
Ginger & Kombu –
Strip of kombu is cooked with sugar and soy sauce with bonito dashi.
Hint of ginger taste.
The same as making the sesame and kombu recipe but with the use of ginger root verse sesame seeds.
– Start by washing the kombu and soaking until soft.
– With the kombu soaking, make a dashi broth by bringing the amount of water needed to a boil. Once water boils, remove from heat and add bonito flakes(a type of dried fish, shaved very thin). For good flavor you’ll want about a 1/2oz per 4 cups water. Once flakes the are steeped, strain liquid to remove the flakes. We like to eat the fish flakes, so they don’t have to be removed.
– Cut the kombu into thin strips
– Place the cut kombu into the broth and add sugar, sliced or grated ginger and soy sauce to taste. Note: ginger root is strong to taste so not much is needed.
– Allow to simmer until liquid concentrates. Adjust sugar and soy as needed, to taste.
Allow mixture to set covered with vinegar at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Then pack into jars and keep in refrigerator. Will keep for a month or more if kept cold and under brine.
Fuki Sansho –
Fuki is a kind of edible wild plant in mountain side in Japan.
Picked in Yamagata or Akita prefecture, north part of Japan.
Simmered in sweet sugar and soy sauce.
A hint of Japanese pepper tree seed.
This one we have not tried, but it could work with many plants.
The method is the same to simmer the plant in sugar and soy sauce.
The recipe is finished with a hint of strong pepper, like schezwan pepper.
Experiment with this one and see how it goes!
Pickled Garlic – Three Great Recipes for Japanese Garlic Tsukemono
In our quest to provide you with culturing recipes to use with your ferments, we have three great uses for garlic in the Tsukemono Japanese style. All the recipes are easy to make and provides the healing properties of garlic. Try a small batch of each to see which ones you like best! Recipes from the book: Tsukemono – Japanese Pickling Recipes by Ikuko Hisamatsu
Garlic in Miso – Ninniku Miso-zuke
This reminds me of the ‘stamina’ soups we would get at little Japanese shops in Tokyo and Atsugi (厚木市, Atsugi-shi is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture)
Known to be the ‘stamina builder’, which is used as an appetizer, condiment, or pickle. Just a little goes a long way. The strong garlic smell will reduce in time of about a month or more. The miso will preserve the garlic for long-term storage.
What is Needed:
– 9 oz of fresh garlic
– 9 oz of aged miso (We suggest using a dark miso, however, any miso will work) Make sure to use an unpasteurized miso.
– 3 to 4 tbsp mirin (or a sweetener if you cannot find mirin)
Directions:
1. Start by separating the cloves of garlic, trim off the roots and outer skin. Make sure to remove the thin membrane under the outer skin.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the garlic. Briefly blanch the cloves, remove from pot, and drain.
3. Pat the garlic dry, being careful not the break or damage the cloves.
4. Combine the miso paste and mirin.
5. Place a layer of miso in the bottom of the packing jar. Add cloves and cover with more miso. Keep adding layers of miso and garlic. Top off the packing jar with a layer of miso. Make sure no garlic is exposed. You can also add a layer of salt at this time, which will help keep mold from forming.
6. Seal the packing jar or container and allow to sit in a cool place for a month or more. Store the container in the refrigerator during the summer months or in hotter locations.
Japanese eggplant with garlic miso paste
Once ready for use, the cloves can be either eaten by themselves or added to other dishes. Use a light miso for a sweeter batch and a dark or brown miso for stronger taste. Try making a little of both and see which is liked best. Makes a great garnish for barbecued meat dishes. Also, nice to thinly slice and add to stir-fries or to season plane rice. Enjoy
Garlic Honey – Ninniku Hachimitsu-zuke
This is a great cultured ferment for the winter season! Easy to make and loaded with cold and flu fighting properties. We recommend using RAW honey for the best taste and beneficial remedies. The honey is ready in as little as 2 to 3 days. Wait around a month or more to eat the garlic cloves. The garlic will start to break down if left to sit to long, best to make smaller batches to use within a month or two.
The honey gives a nice sweet garlic flavor for many dishes. Or if your a garlic fan you can eat the cloves, like candy.
The garlic infused honey, when thinned down with water, makes a great hot or cold drink to enjoy or as a cold remedy! One can find many benefits to using this recipe for health and well being.
Garlic steeped in raw honey
What is Needed:
– 10 oz (300g) Fresh garlic
– 7 to 9 oz (200-250g) Raw Honey
Directions:
1. Start by separating the cloves of garlic, trim off the roots and outer skin. Make sure to remove the thin membrane under the outer skin.
2. Wash and pat the garlic dry, being careful not the break or damage the cloves.
3. Prepare a small packing jar by boiling in water to sterilize also called a water bath.
4. Pack the garlic cloves into the sterilized container. Pour over the honey. Allow the honey to set for a minute and top off, making sure to cover all the cloves.
5. Cover with lid and allow to sit in a cool dark place. Fermentation times very, after a couple of days one should see bubbles forming in the honey mixture. After a week, place in cold storage for better long term preservation. Enjoy!
Garlic in Soy Sauce – Ninniku Shoyu-zuke
This recipe works well to rid the garlic of the strong odor. This recipe comes from Korea, but incorporates well into many dishes. Fresh garlic is the best. Use a local source if possible(Support your local farmer). Select well-proportioned bulbs as they are served in halves. Takes about two months before ready for use or when the odor diminishes.
Garlic steeped in Shuyo
What is Needed:
– 10 whole garlic bulbs
– 2 cups rice vinegar
– 1 ¼ c shoyu or favorite soy sauce
– 2 tbsp sugar or mirin to taste
Directions:
1. Choose round uniform bulbs that will form pretty plum blossoms when cut horizontally in half.
2. Peel the outer skin leaving only a single layer of skin to hold the garlic bulbs together. Trim away the stem for better packing.
3. Prepare a small packing jar by boiling in water to sterilize also called a water bath.
4. Pack the jar or container with the garlic bulbs. Add the rice vinegar and allow to stand, covered, in a dark space for two weeks.
5. After the two-week period, pour off 2/3rds of the vinegar (keep for other uses such as salad dressing).
Both the rice vinegar soaking and shoyu steeping
6. Mix the soy sauce and sugar until sugar dissolves. Warming the soy sauce will help combine the sugar.
7. Pour the mixture into the garlic/vinegar mixture and cover with lid. Date and label jar to know when the ferment is ready.
8. Just before serving, cut horizontally in half. Enjoy!
Enjoy these new uses for garlic throughout the winter time for stronger
immunity and health.
Happy Culturing…Live, Grow, Share Cultured Foods!
In trying to find ways for us fermenters to assist and learn from one another, we have started a new FB group that can answer your questions from us or like-minded fermenters, like yourself.
We have many new culture strains from yogurts, Japanese koji spores, and even rare kombucha strains, plus more.
Come join our new group and have a chance to win a free culture starter of your choice from our web store! Head over to our store and enter today!
Our Culture Sites and FB pages: organic-cultures.com – An information site with culturing know how, instructions, and great recipes store.organic-cultures.com – Our complete line of starter cultures
www.organic-kombucha.com – All about Kombucha tea beverage
What is Tsukemono?
