Photo courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)
Originallypublished 10/29/2029 Updated 10/31/2025
Fukujinzuke (福神漬け) is a sweet–salty soy-pickled relish traditionally served with Japanese curry rice (kare-raisu). Its name honors the Shichi Fukujin—the Seven Lucky Gods—each symbolizing a different virtue. A classic preparation uses seven vegetables such as daikon, lotus root, cucumber, eggplant, carrot, shiitake, and burdock.
Though curry and fukujinzuke date from Japan’s Meiji era (1868–1912), these pickles trace their roots to far older preservation arts. Including them in the Crown Tournament Feast provided guests with a glimpse of how Japanese foodways evolved from the Muromachi period’s elegant honzen ryōri to later, modern tastes.
Tsukemono—Japanese pickles—form an essential part of nearly every meal. They cleanse the palate, add color and texture, and reflect regional produce and technique. Methods range from simple salt cures (shiozuke) and vinegar brines (amasuzuke) to soy-based (shoyuzuke), miso (misozuke), rice-bran (nukazuke), and sake-lees (kasuzuke) fermentations.
Our fukujinzuke is a shoyuzuke: vegetables simmered briefly in a soy–sugar–vinegar brine for a glossy, gently candied finish. Commercial versions are often tinted red; traditional homespun ones remain soy-brown. A sliver of beet can replace the food dye for color if desired.
🥕 Dietary Notes: Vegan & vegetarian. Contains soy. For gluten-free, use tamari. Omit candied ginger for low-sugar or allium-free adaptation.
Modern Recipe – Fukujinzuke (Seven Lucky Gods Pickles)
Makes about 2 quarts · Hands-on 20 min · Cure 24–48 hrs
Ingredients
- 500 g daikon (radish), 5–8 mm dice
- 150 g lotus root, peeled & sliced (5 mm)
- 150 g Japanese cucumber, diced
- 150 g eggplant (or carrot substitute), diced
- 20 g fresh or candied ginger, minced
- 1 ½ tsp salt (for pre-salting)
Brine: 1 cup soy sauce (or GF tamari) · 1 cup mirin · ⅓ cup rice vinegar · ¼–½ cup sugar (to taste) · Optional small piece kombu.
Method
- Toss vegetables & ginger with salt; rest 15–20 minutes. Rinse & dry thoroughly.
- Bring brine ingredients to a boil; simmer 1–2 minutes and remove kombu.
- Pack vegetables into jars; pour hot brine to cover. Cool and refrigerate.
- Cure 24–48 hours, turning daily for even color. Keeps 2–3 weeks chilled.
Classical method: Drain brine after 24 hours, re-boil, and return to jar for a candied finish—an approach similar to period Japanese practice with reduced brines.
Glossary of Terms
- Honzen Ryōri — Formal multi-tray banquet service of medieval–early modern Japan; dishes arranged in strict order and symbolism.
- Tsukemono — Japanese pickles; essential palate cleansers and color/texture accents in meals.
- Fukujinzuke — “Seven Lucky Gods pickles”; a sweet–salty soy-pickled relish commonly served with curry rice from the Meiji era onward.
- Shoyuzuke — Soy-based pickling method (used for fukujinzuke).
- Shiozuke — Salt pickling; quick cure with pressure/weights.
- Amazuzuke / Suzuke — Sweet vinegar pickling; bright and crisp (e.g., gari, kohaku-namasu).
- Misozuke — Miso paste curing of veg/eggs/protein (e.g., Mikawa-ae cucumbers).
- Nukazuke — Rice-bran fermentation pickle; living culture maintained by daily stirring.
- Kasuzuke — Sake-lees curing; slightly alcoholic and aromatic.
- Irizake — Early “umami sauce” made by reducing sake with ume and kombu; elegant pre-soy seasoning.
- Nanbanzuke — “Southern barbarian” style vinegared fry/pickle; Iberian-influenced technique adopted in Japan.
- Sumashi-jiru — Clear broth soup, delicately seasoned.
- O-Zōni — New Year’s soup featuring mochi rice cakes; regional styles vary.
- Beni Shōga — Bright-red ginger pickle colored by red shiso (or dye); often served with curry but distinct from fukujinzuke.
Then vs. Now
Then (Muromachi): Courtly honzen ryōri favored refined broths, seasonal fish, and elegant pickles made with salt, rice-bran, miso, or early sauces like irizake. Curry and fukujinzuke did not yet exist.
Transition (Edo → Meiji): Increased trade and culinary exchange introduced new techniques and tastes; during Meiji (1868–1912), British-style curry rice entered Japan and fukujinzuke became its signature relish.
Now: Home and commercial fukujinzuke range from soy-amber to tinted red; vegetables are diced fine for a chutney-like relish. This recipe keeps the classic soy profile and offers a natural-color option (beet) instead of dye.
Context & Teaching Notes
- Seven Lucky Gods Connection: Each vegetable represents a deity’s virtue in fortune and abundance.
- Era Context: Fukujinzuke and curry are Meiji-period (19 c.) innovations but illustrate continuity from Muromachi preservation methods.
- Color Traditions: “Red” commercial variants are dyed; natural versions retain the amber color of soy and sugar.
More from the Japanese Crown Tournament Feast
Explore the full Muromachi-period Honzen Ryōri series from the 10/19/2019 Crown Tournament.
📜 Series Hub – Honzen Ryōri Overview & Menu
Symbolism in the Crown Tournament Feast
Okashi – Sweet Confections of the Muromachi Court
Sources
- Japan Guide – Japanese Pickles (Tsukemono)
- Asia Society – “Fukujinzuke: Relish of the Seven Lucky Gods”
- Metropolis Japan – Origins of Japanese Curry
- Gurunavi – Tsukemono Overview
More from the Japanese Crown Tournament Feast
Explore the full Muromachi-period Honzen Ryōri series from the 10/19/2019 Crown Tournament.
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