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Japanese-style sauerkraut | FERMENTING & PICKLING
Star ingredient: Napa cabbage
Japanese-style Sauerkraut
Pickled foods are a major part of Japanese cuisine. The origins of tsukemono (pickles) are lost, but legend has it that the
people living in the area around the Kayatsu Shrine in Nagoya (now nicknamed Tsukemono Jinja) would offer sea salt and
vegetables to the god of the shrine. However, because the vegetables would soon spoil, they decided to try mixing them
with the salt, concluding that the result was a gift from the gods. There are many types of pickling, but this is a version of
hakusai, using whey instead of the traditional ricebran culture.
Ingredients
• 1 napa cabbage, cored
& finely shredded
• Bunch shallots,
chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
(naturally fermented)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp whey (or an
additional tsp of salt)
Method
• Mix all ingredients in a
bowl and pound with a
wooden pounder or meat
hammer to release juices.
• Let stand, covered with a
tea towel or paper towel
for ½–1 hour for salt to
draw out juices.
• Transfer to a clean jar,
pounding each layer so
liquid rises to top, and
ensuring vegetables are
fully submerged. Leave
about 3cm space at top.
Cover with lid.
• Leave at room
temperature for about
three days, then transfer
to cold storage.
Adapted from recipe by Sally Fallon Morell in Nourishing Traditions.
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