Julienned white daikon and orange carrot tossed in glossy rice vinegar dressing, garnished with sesame seeds in a small serving bowl

Edo Period · Japan

Namasu (Vinegar-Dressed Daikon and Carrot)

Name: Namasu (Vinegar-Dressed Daikon and Carrot)
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 1 daikon radish (400g), julienned; 1 large carrot, julienned; 60ml rice vinegar; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

From Ryōri Monogatari 料理物語 · Anonymous (Edo period) · 1643

Verified from original source

A crisp, refreshing side dating to the earliest Japanese cookbook — daikon and carrot pickled briefly in sweet rice vinegar.

History

Namasu is a traditional Japanese sunomono (vinegared dish) combining thinly sliced daikon radish and carrot dressed in sweetened vinegar. It appears in Japan's earliest printed cookbook, Ryōri Monogatari (1643), indicating its established presence in Edo-period cuisine. The dish likely evolved from Chinese influenced vinegar preparations introduced centuries earlier. Namasu became essential to Japanese celebration meals, particularly as part of osechi-ryōri (New Year feast), where its red-and-white colours symbolise felicity. The combination represents mizuhiki ceremonial cords used in gift-giving. Modern versions maintain the traditional preparation, though sugar proportions have increased.

Sources

Ryōri Monogatari (料理物語), Anonymous, 1643
Shimbo, Hiroko. The Japanese Kitchen. Harvard Common Press, 2000
Ishige, Naomichi. The History and Culture of Japanese Food. Kegan Paul, 2001
Andoh, Elizabeth. Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen. Ten Speed Press, 2005
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food. Tuttle Publishing, 1996

Serves

Prep

25m

Cook

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

· 1 daikon radish (400g), julienned
· 1 large carrot, julienned
· 60ml rice vinegar
· 2 tbsp sugar
· 1 tsp salt
· 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1
Toss daikon and carrot with salt. Rest 20 minutes, then squeeze out excess water.
2
Combine vinegar and sugar until dissolved.
3
Toss the drained vegetables with the vinegar mixture.
4
Chill 1 hour. Scatter sesame seeds to serve.

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