How to make pickles - Japanese Style

In America, it's called a pickle and in the UK, it's called the gherkin. Whatever it's called, pickles are a favorite among many people. I remember many years ago during a trip to Walt Disney World, I saw a food vendor selling whole pickles to munch on. I was surprised to see this as I never thought of munching on a pickled cucumber walking down the street.

I ended up buying one and I realized that the sourness of the pickle invigorated me in the hot Florida sun. Then I thought about how similar it is to Japanese people eating cucumbers in the summer to help cool down the body from the intense summer heat. In many Asian countries, we consume cucumbers to help cool the body temperature and because of the high water content, it hydrates as well.

Here in Japan, pickling vegetables is an age-old tradition. My mother used to pickle cabbage and cucumbers for us when we were younger. I have memories of my grandmother trying to force me to taste some of her just pickled eggplants when we visited her in the countryside. As I got older I started to appreciate the art of pickling vegetables.

There are many variations of pickled vegetables in Japan and they are made differently depending on the region of the country. In fact, there are some cities in Japan that are famous for the pickles such as Kyoto and Yamagata. Nara, the old capital, is known for their Narazuke. It's quite an intense pickle and is meant to be eaten with rice.

In your typical Japanese household, we tend to make "quick" pickles which can be eaten almost straight away or the very next day. This saves time and is an easy and delicious way to use vegetables.

One of my favorite thing to make in the summer is a cucumber pickle that can be eaten just after sitting overnight in the refrigerator. It's refreshing, easy to make and makes a great accompaniment to salads. It is also a great side dish to a fish meal. Just make sure to include a bowl of rice and miso soup for a complete meal.

These easy-to-make cucumber pickles are great as a side dish or on top of salads. They are less intense than the American pickle in sourness and similar to a salad. They also make a refreshing appetizer for warm summer evenings.

Japanese cucumbers work best for this recipe but can be made with American cucumbers. If you cannot find shiso in your local supermarket, you can omit it altogether and use another herb such as Italian parsley, although it doesn't give the dish it's unique flavor.

When I've had a busy day and I'm pressed for time, this is my go-to recipe that makes use of any cucumbers I may have lying around the house. This is a very typical Japanese dish that we often eat.

It's one of the easiest side dishes to make and makes a refreshing and cooling treat on a hot summer day. This recipe is so easy that It only requires 4 ingredients and 5 minutes.