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Takuan (Japanese:沢庵; also spelledtakuwan), ortakuan-zuke (沢庵漬け; 'pickled takuan'), known asdanmuji (단무지) in the context ofKorean cuisine,[1][2] is apickled preparation ofdaikon radish. As a popular part oftraditionalJapanese cuisine,takuan is often served uncooked alongside other types oftsukemono ('pickled things'). It is also enjoyed at the end of meals to aiddigestion.
In Japan, famous Buddhist monkTakuan Sōhō (1573–1645) is popularly credited with creating this yellow pickle, which now bears his name.[3]
Usually,takuan is washed with water to remove excessbrine and then sliced thinly before serving. It is eaten as aside dish during meals, and eaten as asnack atteatime. Strip-cuttakuan is often used for Japanesebento. Traditionaltakuan—using daikon radish that has beensun-dried and then pickled in arice bran bed—is sometimesstir-fried orbraised when getting older and sour. Somesushi rolls use strip-cuttakuan for ingredients, e.g.shinkomaki (takuan only) andtorotaku-maki (maguro [fatty tuna] andtakuan).
Takuan is calleddanmuji (단무지) in Korea.Danmuji is a commonbanchan (side dish) served withbunsik (light meal or snack), as well as withKorean Chinese dishes.
In the traditional process of makingtakuan, the first step is to hang a daikon radish in the sun for a few weeks by the leaves until it becomesdehydrated and flexible. Next, the daikon is placed in apickling crock and covered with a mixture ofsalt, ricebran, optionallysugar, daikongreens,kombu, and perhapschilli pepper and/or driedpersimmon peels. A weight is then placed on top of the crock, and the daikon is allowed to pickle for several months. The finishedtakuan is usually yellow in color and quite pungent.[citation needed]
Most mass-producedtakuan uses salt orsyrup to reduce the dehydration time, andartificial color to enhance the appearance.
Iburi-gakko (lit. 'smokedtakuan') is eaten inAkita Prefecture in the North. It issmoked rather than sun-dried before pickling.