Takuan is a Japanese dish of fermented daikon radish. It is a form of Tsukemono (Japanese pickled veggies), which are served as side dishes or snacks, and are even part of the Japanese tea ceremony. Takuan in particular is often served at the end of meal to help digestion. The name “Takuan” is often attributed to Takuan Soho, a 17th century Zen Buddhist figure and the creative basis for the character Dakuan from the anime film Ninja Scroll. Korean cuisine has a similar pickled daikon radish dish, called Danmuji (단무지).
The daikon radish itself made its way to Japan from China about 2,000 years ago. Today, more land in Japan is used to grow daikon than any other vegetable. Takuan sold in many stores today is dyed yellow with food coloring; I was able to get a similar color by using a tiny bit of turmeric while pickling the radishes.
You’ll Need:
2 large daikon radishes (approx 2 lbs)
3 cups water
1/4 cup sea salt
1/4 cup organic raw sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
You may notice that this recipe calls for sugar, which is something I usually avoid in my recipes. Considering that most of the sugar is eaten by bacteria during the fermentation process, I’m not too worried about the sugar content of the final product. That being said, it still carries a little bit of a sweet taste, so it’s definitely not sugar-free. While modern Takuan is slightly sweet tasting, the original recipe likely didn’t have sugar in it, so feel free to omit the sugar if you’d like.
If you are avoiding all rice products altogether, you can substitute the rice vinegar with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Boil one cup of the water, then mix in the salt, sugar, and turmeric. Stir together until dissolved, then add the rest of the water and let it cool to room temperature. The turmeric may not completely dissolve, which is fine.
As the water cools, peel your radishes and cut them into half-moons, about 1/4″ thick. Fill up a half-gallon jar (or two quart-sized jars) with the sliced veggies.
Once the water is cool, add the rice vinegar and pour everything into the jar. Add additional water if needed, until there’s about 1/2″ of air at the top of the jar. Seal and leave in a dark part of your house for four or five days. You may want to release the seal after a few days to let the pressurized air escape.
Be sure to gently mix your jar every couple days to make sure the turmeric colors everything evenly.
Place your massive jar of deliciousness in the fridge and enjoy within a month.
Serve with anything, especially rice dishes.
The Domestic Man 
Oh, I really need to step up my fermenting game. This looks great, and is definitely on my list of must-try ferments!
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Alex, definitely give it a try. It’s ridiculous how easy it is to make this stuff :)
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What I need to pick up is a bunch of big jars!
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I love Ninja Scrolls!
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I may have to try your fermenting recipes. They look easy and delicious. I really like Takuan.
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Wow. Home-made takuan! I don’t know anyone who does this! (I’m Japanese and live in Tokyo.)
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Ayako, thanks for the comment! You made my day. My mother-in-law makes takuan (they live in Hawaii) pretty often, so that’s what inspired my own creation :)
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You have great recipes. I’ll def try this one- seems ez enough :) Thank you!
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Thanks, this is definitely and easy and rewarding dish to make!
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I’m from hawaii and this is one of the things i miss now that i live in the states. thanks for the recipe :)
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Coming across this pretty late Russ, but this looks awesome! I’m not new to Japanese cuisine, but I am new to pickling. When you say “seal” do you mean screw on the lid OR use the traditional vacuum method with boiled water. AND if thats the case, can I just leave them in the jar for awhile?
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Hi Jordan, by “seal” I mean to screw on the lid but not to can them in a water bath. You’ll want to leave them out at room temperature to ferment initially but store them in the fridge. Good luck!
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I have been trying to find daikon radish for ages!! Ive been to several grocery stores AND my local Asian market and I still cant find any.Is there something I can use as a substitute that will taste kinda the same?
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where do you live? Perhaps you are looking for small round veggies? Daikon is very long and white. Rather large.
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Hi! I was so excited to make these, and now I’m afraid to even try them! Mine never developed any pressure under the lid–zippo. Are they still ok to eat? What did I do incorrectly? Thanks!!
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Hi Jennifer, it should still be okay – it sounds like the vinegar likely inhibited the fermentation process so that is why there wasn’t any pressurized air. When developing the recipe, I decided to include vinegar in order to prevent mold, mostly because I didn’t want to be liable for getting someone sick! But this also means it’s not a true “fermented” dish, and sometimes won’t create pressure (hence why I labeled it as “pickled” vice “fermented”). The bright side is that the dish should definitely be safe to eat! Hope you like it – thanks.
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My family is Japanese. There is always Takuan in our refrigerator. We made your recipe and wondered if you ever made it. The Takuan was so salty that it was inedible. Even after we tried to save the Takuan by rinsing it in water, it was still to salty. Your 1/4 cup of sea salt cannot be correct. Retry your recipe and you will see the final product is inedible.
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Hi, I have a question for you. Do you think I can keep it “sealed” for more than 5 days so that I don’t have to do it every week or so? Thanks!
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Your recipe is totally fusion. This is more like salty pickles than delicate sweet/lightly vinegered takuan! My mom’s from Japan and we grew up in Hawai’i with something quite different from what came out of your recipe.
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