Kohaku-namasu (Daikon and Carrot Salad)

Kitchen Adventures – Crown Tournament 2019: Kohaku-namasu (Daikon and Carrot Salad)

Kohaku-namasu (Daikon and Carrot Salad)
Photo © Cooking with Dog, used under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Originally published 11/25/2019 Updated 11/6/2025

A symbolic red-and-white salad of daikon and carrot lightly pickled in sweetened vinegar — a bright accent to the first tray of the Muromachi-period Honzen Ryori feast.

Kohaku-namasu represents more than flavor: the colors themselves are auspicious. Red symbolizes joy and protection from evil; white represents purity and celebration. The dish was introduced from China during the Nara period and became a central feature of Osechi Ryori — the traditional New Year’s cuisine of the Heian court.

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 Mikawa ae (Miso & Sesame Cucumber Pickles)

Crown Tournament 2019: Mikawa ae (Miso and Sesame Cucumber Pickles)

From the Muromachi-period Honzen Ryori menu served at Crown Tournament (October 19, 2019): crisp cucumbers dressed in a miso–sesame emulsion, bright with rice vinegar and shiso.

Mikawa ae — Photo courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Originally published 11/25/2019 Updated 11/6/2025

This beautifully simple dish was a standout on the first tray. The balance of salt, sweetness, and umami offered a refreshing counterpoint to the grilled and simmered items. The redaction draws on Sengoku Daimyo’s Redactions of Japanese Dishes, aligning with techniques seen in late medieval Japan.

Fukujinzuke – “Seven Lucky Gods” Pickles for Japanese Curry

Fukujinzuke (red pickles for curry) 福神漬け
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.

A Potage of Roysons – Medieval Apple and Raisin Rice Porridge (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) – Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons – Rice Porridge with Apples and Raisins

🥕 Includes Dietary Notes!

Today's recipe adventure from the Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books (Harleian MS. 279, ab 1430) explores Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons, a gentle almond-milk-based pottage thickened with rice flour and dotted with apples and raisins.

This dish would likely have appeared during the pottage course of a medieval meal — possibly served warm with bread during Lent or in the infirmary for the ailing. Its flavor is mild, lightly sweetened with fruit, and comforting. I served this version at an SCA breakfast event, and it went over well, though some testers called it “tasty, but not delicious.” And honestly? Same. I’ve made similar recipes that were more complex — perhaps I’m just still not a fan of raisins.

Original Recipe and Modern Translation

Original Middle English (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)	Modern English Translation
Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons.—Take Raysonys, & do a-way þe kyrnellys; & take a part of Applys, & do a-way þe corys, & þe pare, & bray hem in a mortere, & temper hem with Almande Mylke, & melle hem with flowre of Rys, þat it be clene chargeaunt, & straw vppe-on pouder of Galyngale & of Gyngere, & serue it forth.	Take raisins and remove the seeds. Take some apples, remove the cores and peel them. Mash them in a mortar, and mix them with almond milk. Stir in rice flour until the mixture is thick. Sprinkle with powdered galangal and ginger, and serve.

Interpreted Recipe (Serves 8)

Ingredients

• 4 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 cup raisins
• 8 cups almond milk
• 1/2 cup honey (optional, to taste)
• 1 cup rice flour
• 2 tsp ginger (or period Good Powder blend)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Warm almond milk with honey and ginger in a large pot.
2. Add apples and raisins. Simmer gently until the fruit softens, about 10–15 minutes.
3. Whisk in rice flour and stir continuously until it thickens like porridge.
4. Stir in salt. Garnish with ginger or galangal powder if desired. Serve warm.

The Role of Raisins in Medieval Cooking

Raisins were frequently used in medieval recipes—not just for desserts, but to enrich and sweeten savory dishes as well. They appear in pottages, sauces, pies, and even stews, often alongside almond milk and rice flour. Their inclusion helped balance humors and added perceived nourishment to lean or fast-day meals.

Cooking Method: What “Temper” Might Mean

The original recipe uses the term “temper hem with Almande Mylke,” which may imply either blending or gradual heating. I chose to warm the almond milk with honey and ginger, then cook the fruit in it gently before adding the rice flour to thicken. This method draws out more flavor from the raisins and apple while creating a smooth, creamy texture.

🥕 Dietary Suggestions:
This dish is naturally vegan and gluten-free if prepared with certified rice flour and almond milk.

• For a vegan version: Use maple or date syrup in place of honey.
• Nut-free option: Substitute oat or rice milk for almond milk.
• Camp cooking tip: Premix powdered almond milk, rice flour, and ginger. Add dried apples and raisins on-site with water and heat to serve.
• Texture tweak: Blend the apple and raisins before cooking for a smoother porridge.

🔎 Looking for Similar Recipes?
If you enjoyed A Potage of Roysons, you might also like these other fruit- and almond-based dishes from the same manuscript:

• .lxxix. Apple Muse – Smooth apple and almond milk porridge, no raisins.
• .Cxxxiiij. Apple Moyle – Sweeter version with honey and wine, thickened with rice flour.
• .lxxxv. Gaylede – Almond milk and rice dish with floral notes, suited to fast days.
• .lxviij. Bruet of Almaynne in Lente – Lent-friendly almond milk and raisin stew.
• .xx. Papyns – Early rice custard thickened with almond milk; no fruit, but similar texture.