Even after Nara was no longer the capital, sake brewing continued at temples in Nara. Temples had experimented with various ways to make sake, and the sake that had its roots in the temples of Nara was called soboshu. Here, the technology was developed for producing the clear sake we know today. At the time, it became famous throughout the country as Nara sake. As sake brewing progressed, narazuke pickling also changed. It is said that sake as we know it today was created around the 15th century. This is true of narazuke as well. This is also when kasuzuke came to be called narazuke. After this time, the word narazuke appears in various Edo period (1603 – 1868) documents. The “Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary'' (1603), written by a Portuguese missionary, states that “narazuke is a type of Japanese pickle.''

〇How to pickle vegetables in sake lees to make narazuke: 3 points
Point ❶ Replace
① Salt-pickle vegetables to remove their moisture with salt and dehydrate them. 
② Pickle salted vegetables in sake lees to remove salt and add flavor.

Point ❷: Utilize two powers
① Utilize the power of both salt and sake lees. (Leave it to nature) 
② Marinate for a long time. (Leave it to time) 

Point ❸: Leverage tradition and experience and be attentive to nature
① Taylor the pickling method to the vegetables/fruit to be pickled and the condition of the sake lees. 　　　　
② Customize the pickling process to suit the climate of Nara and the current season.

The Oriental pickling melon has been the most commonly sake-lees-pickled item since the Nara period (710–784). Originally, narazuke was made from melons grown in the Nara Basin – a fine example of local production for local consumption.

Even ancient documents mention various vegetables and fruits being used to make this pickle. This is because Nara was the capital, and various vegetables were introduced from the continent (China and Central Asia) through Nara. The pickled edible gourds and eggplants noted on wooden tablets are said to have been introduced between the 3rd and 5th centuries. In addition, cucumbers, cowpeas, green onions, turnips, chives, water chestnuts, and melons are said to have been introduced in ancient times as were peaches, plums, and persimmon trees. Since then, various vegetables and fruits have been introduced to Japan from all over the world. As a result, various types of vegetables and fruits were pickled and became narazuke during the Edo period (1603 – 1868). Even today, there are many different kinds of narazuke.

Current narazuke use:
melon, cucumber, Moriguchi radish, watermelon, plums, ginger, Jerusalem artichokes, gourd, radishes, chayote, bamboo shoots, onions, turnips, burdock, eggplant, garlic, celery, persimmons and avocado

Did you know that sake lees is rich in enzymes, B vitamins, and essential amino acids?

Nara Prefecture　Promotion of Abundant Food and Agriculture Division

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