(たくあん)

たくあん
noun
takuan, pickled daikon radish
foodculture
1. takuan, pickled daikon radish
A type of Japanese pickle made from daikon radish that has been sun-dried and then pickled in rice bran and salt. Characterized by its yellow color and crunchy texture.
Eat takuan together with rice.
Grandma's homemade takuan is superb.
The set meal came with takuan and miso soup.

Cultural note

Named after the Zen Buddhist monk 沢庵宗彭(たくあんそうほう) (1573-1645), who is traditionally credited with popularizing this pickling method. 沢庵(たくあん) is one of the most common 漬物(つけもの) (pickles) in Japan, typically served as a side dish with rice. The bright yellow color comes from rice bran ((ぬか)) fermentation or sometimes from turmeric.

Also written in hiragana as たくあん or katakana as タクアン.

Common collocations

  • 沢庵(たくあん)()け: takuan pickles (formal name)
  • 沢庵(たくあん)()ける: to pickle takuan
  • 沢庵(たくあん)(): to slice takuan