What is Tsukemono (Picles)

Kyo-Tsukemono (Kyoto Pickles) is pickles made by vegetables of Kyoto Production with original style. (Tsukemono is pickled with salt, vinegar and sake lees.)

The origine of the Japanese Pickles is not revealed.
Acording to one of the theory, says about 3000-4000 yrs. ago, it started to soak in sea water using wild vegetables.

Kyoto Tsukemono (Picles) types

The most famous three pickles are "Senmai-zuke", "Suguki", "Shiba-zuke"

"Senmai-zuke"
Senmai-zuke uses Shogoin turnip, original vegetable of Kyoto. (Sen-mai means 1000 sliced something.)
Make thin sliced Shogoin turnip and matures more than 1000 sliced turnp in a wooden barrel.
Originally, Daikokuya Tozaburo the cook of the imperial palace made a recepi in 1865.
It pickles with salt and fermented with lactic acid bacteria.
It became to be mass-produced using sugar, vinegar, seasoning than after World War II.
The current Senmai-zuke is made within pickled kelp (seaweed), along with the red pepper.

"Suguki"
Suguki uses whole turnip (leaf of turnip and turnip).
It makes rare and fullscale production processes with lactic acid fermentation.The characteristic taste is clear acidic.
It is said, salmon of Kamigamo Shrine got the seed in the days of (1573-1603) Momoyama period.
It is reported as a rare luxury goods, is used as a gift for upper class early Edo period (1603-1868). The cultivation techniques, as well bring up the grain seed also forbidden.

"Shiba-zuke"
Shiba-zuke is a pickles has natural brilliant color, chop the cucumber and eggplant was added to the leaves of red perilla. The original process is fermented by lactic acid bacteria and it takes almost 1 year for aging. However, lately adds vinegared ginger and cucumber for mass production. The origine of this pickles is a daughter of Kiyomori Taira (a famous Samurai at the same time a minister) prepared Shba-zuke as a gift to confort the people after a downfall of her family (the Heike Family).

One of the reason of development pickles, the land of Kyoto is able to caught a fine vegetables. And 'cause of the climate people wellknown how to make preserved food. After the development of the techniques of Tsukemono in Kyoto, it expanded to the whole Japan.

Kyoto pickles reached even an art from mere food. This is a proud of traditional food Japan.