Bettarazuke — Tokyo Sweet Pickled Daikon
Tokyo (Nihonbashi), Japan — Edo period speciality associated with autumn festival
Bettarazuke (べったら漬け) is a Tokyo speciality pickle — whole rounds or halves of daikon pickled in a sweet koji-rice brine until tender and deeply impregnated with sweetness and a fermented sake-like character. The sticky, sugary brine that coats the finished pickle (which gives it the 'bettara-bettara' sticky texture that names it) is distinctive: the koji-saccharified rice syrup creates a natural, complex sweetness quite unlike artificial sweeteners or simple sugar pickling. The finished product is pure white outside with a translucent interior, not excessively salty, and has a pleasantly soft crunch. Bettarazuke is the traditional autumn festival pickle — sold at the October Bettara-ichi (Bettara Market) near Nihonbashi Oji Shrine in Tokyo, a tradition since the Edo period. Eaten as a standalone condiment, it is also sliced thin as an accompaniment to sashimi.