Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 - Fukujinzuke (red pickles for curry) 福神漬け

Fukujinzuke (red pickles for curry) 福神漬け
Picture Courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Japanese cuisine is composed of rice (or another starch), soup and at least two side dishes.  Rice, which is a staple commodity, is the central component.  The accompanying dishes are called Okazu, and are designed to supplement the rice. The main okazu is almost always protein based--grilled fish, meat, or eggs. The secondary okazu can be either a vegetable dish or another protein dish. Additionally, there are accompaniments called "hashi yasume".  A special kind of okazu that contrasts flavor, temperature and texture of the main dish and most often includes small salads or pickles.

Pickles are a very important part of Japanese cuisine.  Just as rice is considered a "core" part of a meal, so too are pickles.  They are used as palate cleansers, condiments, garnishes or relishes. They emerged as a way of preserving food before refrigeration. The methods of pickling range from simply salt and vinegar, to fermentation and culturing molds. 

The simplest pickling process is salt pickling, and it is known as Shiozuke.  Thinly sliced vegetables are layered with salt and then weighed down, resulting in vegetables that are sweet, crisp and light in texture.  Simply rinse your vegetables before using.   Diners of the feast enjoyed this kind of pickle in the form of umeboshi. 

Suzuke pickles have been brined in rice vinegar, which gives them a tangy and sweet flavor with a crunchy texture.  The gari (pickled ginger) and namasu (pickled daikon and carrots) served at feast are examples of this kind of pickle. 

Shoyuzuke is soy-based pickling. Soy sauce is combined with vinegar and sugar resulting in pickles that are both sweet and salty.  The fukujinzuke served at feast is an example of this kind of pickling method. Fukujinzuke is made with seven different items and is associated with the seven gods of fortune (Shichi Fukujin), also known as the seven lucky gods, or the seven gods of happiness. They are most often served with curryies and chopped like a chutney. I left the pieces larger because I wanted individuals to know what they were eating. 

Miso-based pickling is called Misozuke. Miso paste is flavored with seasonings such as mirin, garlic or ginger and then the vegetables, meat, tofu or eggs are buried within it.  They can cure from a few hours to several weeks.The Mikawa Ae (miso cured cucumbers) that was served at feast is an example of this kind of pickling. 

Nukazuke is an advanced pickle. It begins with a mixture of rice bran which has been roasted. The rice bran is then mixed with salt, kombu seaweed and water into a mash. It relies on lactobacillus bacteria to cure the pickles.  The mash must be stirred  daily in order to be properly maintained.  A properly maintained mash can be kept indefinately. This is the method that is used to create Takuan, yellow pickled daikon radish. 

The last method of Japanese pickling is Kasuzuke which uses sake lees (the mash left over from filtering sake) mixed with salt, sugar and mirin.  The resulting pickles are slightly alcoholic. 

For more information on Iemetsu's banquet see the following post: Resources and Inspiration for Crown Tourney Feast

For more information on the seven lucky gods see here: Seven Lucky Gods 

Fukujinzuke (福神漬)

5 c. chopped turnip
4 c. chopped cucumbers
1 c. chopped carrots
1/2 Asian pear, julienned
Lotus root (10-cm piece), peeled
1 tbsp finely chopped candied ginger
1/2 cup salt
1-1/2 c. soy sauce
2 c. sugar
3 tbsp white vinegar

Note: Other vegetables you can use include: eggplant, mushrooms, daikon, radish and purple shiso

Peel, core and slice vegetables into like-sized pieces.  Alternatively, if you want to make it more of a chutney, chop vegetables finely.  Sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for a minimum of ten minutes before rinsing and then drying off vegetables. 

Mix soy, sugar and vinegar together in a pot to create to the brine. Bring the brine to a boil and boil for 1-2 minutes.  Place vegetables into a container (I used a mason jar) and pour the brine over  them.

Here is where I deviated from the classical Japanese technique.  If you are following the classical technique you would leave the vegetables overnight in the brine, then drain the brine into a saucepan, boil it for 1-2 minutes and then pour the hot brine back over the drained vegetables over the next two days.

I did not do this. Instead, I refrigerated the vegetables and brine and flipped the jars over once a day for the next two days.

Citations:

Japanese Pickles (Tsukemono) (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2349.html.

Tsukemono: The Complete Guide to Japanese Pickles. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://gurunavi.com/en/japanfoodie/2015/08/tsukemono.html?__ngt__=TT0ffbd9f51007ac1e4ae773O8fwwraqAODbBY9kNz-A9S.

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 - Vegetarian Gyoza 餃子 & Sarada yō kyabetsu (Japanese Slaw) 福神漬

Vegetarian Gyoza 餃子 & Sarada yō kyabetsu (Japanese Slaw) 福神漬
Picture Courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

I have a confession to make--Japanese dumplings are not period.  While it is true that Japan and China had many years of conflict and that Jiaozi (the Chinese dumplings) were a commonly eaten food for almost two thousand years in China, it wasn't until Japan invaded China in 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War that Japanese soldiers were exposed to Chinese Jiaozi,  the parent of Japanese Gyoza and took them home to their families.  

I could not in good conscience allow people to sit at an empty table.  So, I used cook's prerogative to put a small bite of an acidic food (Sarada yō kyabetsu "Japanese Slaw" 福神漬) with a small bite of something savory and spicy to increase the appetite. Additionally, keeping with the theme of symbolism in the feast, the dumpling represents wealth, happiness and celebration. Both the cabbage and mushrooms used in the filling are equally symbolic: cabbage to bring luck and wealth for the next hundred years and mushrooms to bring good fortune to those who ate the dumplings.

Napa cabbage has an interesting history that is interwoven between China and Japan as well. The word napa (菜っ葉) is a reference to the leaves of any vegetable that can be eaten as food.  In China, where the cabbage was first cultivated in the 15th century, it is referred to as "White Vegetable" (白菜). From China it spread through Korea and into Japan.  The cabbage slaw that was served at feast would theoretically fall into the category of Namasu no Bu (鱠之部), fresh food with vinegar.  Originally Namasu referred to any food that was sliced thin, dressed with vinegar and served raw, and may be the precursor to sashimi or sunomono.

Namasu also travelled to Japan from China during the Nara period (710-794).  The Japanese word for vinegar is "su", and the word for thinly sliced or uncooked is "nama".  While I was unable to locate references to these two specific dishes in period, I felt there was enough evidence for their probability in period that it would not be a red flag to present them.


Sarada yō kyabetsu (Japanese Slaw) 福神漬

1/2 head of napa cabbage shredded
1 bag shredded coleslaw mix

Dressing

 2 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. light soy sauce
2 tsp. vegetable or canola oil
5 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 green onions finely sliced

Mix together ingredients for dressing, and then pour over the cabbage.  This slaw can be refrigerated up to 2 days before serving.

Vegetarian Gyoza 餃子

1 pound finely minced napa cabbage
1 carrot finely grated
7 ounces finely minced mushrooms
1 pound of vegetarian crumbles
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. garlic
1 tsp. fresh ginger
2 green onions or 1/2 leek finely chopped
2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 package of dumpling wrappers
Vegetable oil for cooking

Sprinkle salt over cabbage and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it wilts and releases water.  Squeeze the cabbage to drain the liquid.  In a medium skillet, heat oil and sesame oil. Add mushrooms, carrots, leeks (or onions), garlic and ginger, and cook stirring occasionally until mushrooms are slightly browned. Add cabbage, sesame oil and vegetarian crumbles, and cook another four to five minutes. Set aside to cool.

To make dumplings you will need to assemble the cooled dumpling filling, a bowl of water, and your wrappers.  Add up to 2 tsp. filling to a wrapper that has been wet with water on half of it.  Fold into a half moon shape and pleat shut.  Dumplings can be frozen, then fried or steamed depending upon your preference.