Takuan - what is it? Only experienced Japanese cooks can answer this question. After all, this product is a fairly popular Asian snack.
Takuan Appetizer General Information
What is it and what is it used for? These are the questions we will answer in the article. We will also tell you about who created this appetizer, how it should be made and used to prepare various dishes.
Takuan - what is it? This culinary term is used to refer to a very popular traditional snack in Japan. It is prepared from a radish called daikon.
The dish in question was created in the 16th century by the wandering Zen monk Takuan Soho. He was a great calligrapher, poet, artist, gardener and master of the tea ceremony. It was he who wrote the popular letter of Takuan. It talks about martial arts and unwavering wisdom.
The method of preparing snacks, photo
Takuan is very easy to prepare. The main thing is to find the right ingredients. To prepare a traditional Japanese dish, you will need a Japanese daikon radish. In large supermarkets, such a vegetable is sold quite often. Moreover, the price of this product is not very high, and almost everyone can buy it.
So, takuan - what is it and how to cook it? To do this, we need the following components:
- Japanese daikon radish - 2 pcs.;
- small table salt - to taste;
- brown sugar - to taste;
- dried persimmon petals - optional;
- rice bran - optional;
- kelp - at the discretion;
- hot red pepper - to taste;
- green daikon leaves - optional.
Cooking process
Pickled radish (takuan) is made very easy. But in order to get a real Japanese snack, you must always adhere to all the requirements of the recipe, as well as be patient. After all, such a dish is being done for a rather long time.
Before proceeding with the preparation of the appetizer in question, the purchased vegetable is thoroughly washed and dried in the sun (for several weeks). We need such a process in order to make the product as flexible as possible.
After the radish is aged under the hot sun, it is laid out in a bowl and seasoned with salt. Rice bran, kelp, granulated sugar, green daikon leaves, dried persimmon petals and hot red pepper are also added to the container. Having placed the vegetable under oppression, it is kept in this form for several months. Properly cooked takuan becomes a pleasant yellow color.
Where to use?
Takuan is very popular not only in Japan, but also in South Korea. Although in this country such an appetizer is called tanmuji. It is used for making kimbap, as well as seasoning for chajanmen and other dishes.
In traditional Japanese cuisine, takuan (or pickled daikon radish) can be served on a par with other varieties of tsukemono, or separately, at the very end of the meal. It should be noted that such an appetizer contributes to good digestion, and therefore enjoys special popularity among adults and young people.
Cooking delicious Takuan vegetable rolls
What is takuan roll? Among the recipes of Japanese cuisine, vegetable dishes are considered the most healthy and low-calorie. As a rule, they include bell pepper, cucumbers, avocados and other ingredients.
A distinctive feature of Takuan rolls is their filling. For its preparation using a traditional Japanese appetizer of daikon radish. As you know, such a vegetable is rich in vitamin C, as well as various enzymes that significantly improve digestion.
Chefs in Japan include takuan in the group of pickles or pickled dishes. For example, the list includes chuka algae, pickled ginger and wasabi root.
To cook Takuan vegetable rolls on your own, you first need to purchase tanmuji, or the so-called pickled radish. You can buy such ingredients at any specialized sushi stall. The remaining components are not difficult to find in the nearest supermarket.
So, for the preparation of Takuan rolls, we need:
- nori seaweed - ¾ leaf;
- Chinese round-grain rice - 130 grams;
- takuan (pickled daikon radish) - 1 pc.;
- fresh cucumber - 1 small piece;
- soft avocado - 1-2 pcs.;
- Bulgarian pepper - 1 pc.;
- lettuce (green) Iceberg - optional;
- fresh tomatoes - 1-2 pcs.;
- bamboo mat for rolls - 1 pc.;
- white onions - use as desired.
Step-by-step recipe for cooking vegetable rolls
Before you start cooking Takuan vegetable rolls, you need to take care of the presence of a mat. If you did not have such a device, then you can use several sheets of ordinary cooking foil, which you want to fold into one strong sheet.
So, to prepare a delicious Japanese dish, the mat is placed on a flat surface, and then one sheet of nori seaweed is placed on it. Then they spread the already boiled round Chinese rice on them. After that, thinly cut all the other components purchased for the filling, and also place them on the most tender grits.
Having completed all the described actions, the products are wrapped in a roll using makissa, and then sent to the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.
After the vegetable dish has cooled, it is cut into equal portions and served at the dinner table with wasabi sauce or pickled ginger.
Useful tips for housewives
Now you know what a snack like tacuan is. The method of its preparation, as well as the use cases, we have considered above. It should be noted that rolls with takuan can be made not only according to the above recipe, but also using other ingredients. For example, such a dish turns out to be incredibly tasty using eggplant, carrots, zucchini and other things.
It should also be noted that vegetable rolls can be formed in different ways, and not in the form of regular rolls. The main thing at the same time is to use high-quality products and show due creative imagination.