What is Takuan?
Takuan is a type of Japanese tsukemono (pickle) made with daikon radish and is known for its bright yellow color, sweet and salty flavor and satisfying crunchy texture. It not only acts as a palate cleanser but also as a flavor enhancer and even a post-meal snack since it is believed to aid digestion. It is often served on its own, but it’s not uncommon to see it inside sushi rolls such as shinko maki (pickles sushi rolls) or futomaki (thick sushi rolls with various ingredients).
Real Takuan is a type of “nukazuke”, a pickle that is made using a traditional Japanese technique of drying and fermenting vegetables in a bed of rice bran and brine. This technique causes the daikon radish to change color naturally, with a longer fermented period resulting in a more intense yellow color.
Nukazuke is not difficult to make, but it takes a long time and drying the vegetables requires a good stretch of decent weather or dehydrating equipment. Store-bought versions often use different techniques or artificial ingredients to shorten the process, and food coloring to intensify the color.
This recipe is my shortcut Takuan made for everyday cooks who want to enjoy the sweet crunch of this addictive pickle without weeks of drying and fermenting. It uses all-natural ingredients and only takes a few days, so keep reading if you want to know how I do it!
How I Developed This Recipe
I’m a pretty impatient guy, so naturally, I’m a huge fan of quick pickles! Even though Takuan traditionally takes months, I wanted to create a recipe that can be enjoyed in a few days without sacrificing flavor.
Using techniques taken from my previous quick pickles such as bettarazuke, I’ve developed a simple recipe that only takes a few days and tastes like the real thing!
Whether you want to eat Takuan as a side or put it in your sushi rolls, this recipe won’t disappoint!
Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Daikon Radish: This large white root vegetable is known for its mild flavor and crunchy texture. Since daikon is the star of the dish, there aren’t any substitutions for this. In some places, it might be called “Japanese Radish” or “Mooli”.
- Salt: A coarse sea salt will help flavor the daikon and draw out the excess moisture in a process called “osmosis”.
- Sugar: I use light brown cane sugar to flavor and preserve the Takuan. You can also use an equal amount of white sugar if preferred.
- Rice Vinegar: Vinegar helps lower the PH of the daikon and helps preserve it. Rice vinegar is particular has a mild and slightly sweet flavor which contributes to the flavor too. Apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar work in a pinch, but there might be a subtle difference in flavor.
- Kombu: Using this dried kelp in the pickle brine adds the perfect amount of umami which would usually be developed through long pickling. I love this shortcut!
- Dried Chili: Adds heat and depth! Optional but recommended.
- Dried Gardenia pods: These pods will naturally make your Takuan vibrantly yellow! They’re optional and more for presentation. If you can’t get them but still want the yellow color, you can add a small amount of turmeric or food coloring. I must warn you that turmeric does add a slight aftertaste to the pickles.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make easy shortcut Takuan at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
Start by washing the daikon and peeling the skin, then cut it in half lengthways.
To serve as a pickle, cut it into thick half-moons. If you intend to use it for sushi, you can cut it into long sticks instead.
Place the sliced daikon in a sealable freezer bag and add the salt. I add 2% of the original weight of the daikon. Massage until evenly covered.
Push the air out of the bag and seal it tightly, then place it in a container and weigh it down with something double the weight of the daikon. I find a 1kg bag of salt works perfectly.
Store in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight if you have time.
After some time, the salt will draw out the excess liquid in the daikon. Pour the contents of the bag through a sieve and shake well to remove all the excess moisture.
Rinse out the bag and then add the daikon slices back in. Add the sugar and vinegar, then massage by scrunching the bag until evenly covered.
Take your kombu, dried chili and gardenia pod.
Use a fork to pierce holes in the gardenia pod, this will help extract the color.
Then add them to the bag.
Push the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Rest in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and flip the bag once or twice a day to encourage even coloring.
Once you’re happy with the color and flavor, pour the Takuan into a mesh strainer and rinse with cold water.
Pat them dry with kitchen paper, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.
How to Store
Since this Takuan is a shortcut version, it doesn’t store as long as traditional Takuan made with rice bran. Once drained and transferred to an airtight container, it should be consumed within about a week.
You can also freeze Takuan. Use plastic wrap to wrap up the slices in individual portions, then place in a sealable bag and freeze for up to one month.
FAQ
Here are answers to frequently asked questions I have received across all platforms, including here, YouTube, and Pinterest. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to me anytime! It will be a big help for everyone in this community!
Traditionally, Takuan is made by pickling daikon radish for a long time in salt water and rice bran. Through fermentation, the spicy components of daikon radish naturally turn yellow. Many supermarkets speed up the pickling process with different ingredients and methods, and use yellow food coloring to make it look more vibrant. My recipe uses gardenia pods as a natural food coloring, but many people use tumeric, food coloring or simply leave it white.
It is believed that Takuan was created by and named after a famous Japanese Buddhist Monk called “Takuan Soho”.
Takuan is believed to aid digestion and is commonly eaten after meals. Takuan fermented in rice bran is also said to be high in vitamin B.
I hope you enjoy this Takuan shortcut recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Easy Pickle Recipes
- Pickled Cucumber with Ginger
- Bettarazuke (Sweet Daikon Amazake Pickles)
- Pickled Napa Cabbage
- Easy Pickled Ginger for Sushi (Gari)
Quick & Easy Takuan (Yellow Pickled Daikon)
Ingredients
- 450 g daikon radish (approx half)
- 2 tsp sea salt 2% of the weight of the daikon
- 65 g light brown sugar (cane sugar)
- 4 tsp rice vinegar
- 3 g dried kelp (kombu)
- 1 dried red chili pepper
- 1 dried gardenia pod (or turmeric or yellow food coloring) optional
Instructions
- Wash the surface of 450 g daikon radish, peel and cut in half lengthways.
- Slice into thick half-moons. (If using for sushi, cut into long sticks.)
- Drop the slices into a sealable bag and add 2 tsp sea salt. Massage until evenly covered, then push the air out, seal the bag and place it in a container.
- Place a weight (approximately 1kg) on top and rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Pour the contents of the bag through a colander to drain the accumulated liquid and shake well.
- Transfer the daikon slices back into the bag and add 65 g light brown sugar and 4 tsp rice vinegar. Massage until combined.
- If using 1 dried gardenia pod, pierce it with a fork to help extract the color.
- Place the gardenia pod, 3 g dried kelp (kombu) and 1 dried red chili pepper inside the bag. Push the air out and seal.
- Rest in the refrigerator for 2 days. Flip the bag over 1-2 times a day to ensure even flavoring and coloring.
- Once you're happy with the color and flavor, drain the pickling liquid and wash the takuan with fresh water. Shake well to remove excess moisture, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or 1 month in the freezer.
- Enjoy!
I love the idea of quick takuan! I have a gardenia plant in my garden. Can I use the pods from it in this recipe?
Hi Jan,
Wow that’s amazing! I’ve only used store-bough dried pods so I’m not 100% sure how it works with the fresh ones. But I believe if you dry them, you can use them for this recipe.
I’m very curious how it turns out!
Yuto