Takuan

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For the Japanese Zen Buddhist, see Takuan Sōhō.

For a volcanic complex in Papua New Guinea, see Takuan Group.

Traditional takuan

Takuan (沢庵) is a popular and traditional pickle in Japan. It is made from daikon radish. In addition to being served alongside other types of tsukemono in traditional Japanese cuisine, takuan is also enjoyed at the end of meals because it is thought to aid digestion.

The first step in making traditional takuan is to hang a daikon radish in the sun for a few weeks until it is easily bendable. Next, the supple daikon is placed in a pickling crock and covered with a mix of salt, rice bran, optionally sugar, daikon greens, kombu, and perhaps chilli pepper and/or dried persimmon peels. A weight is placed on top of the crock, and the daikon is allowed to sit for several months. The finished takuan is usually yellowish, although most mass-produced takuan rely on food coloring for this effect.

Takuan is also popular in Korea, where it is called danmuji (단무지) and used as a filling for gimbap or an accompaniment for jajangmyeon or any other dish.