Tsukudani Recipe: How to Make Japanese Kombu Tsukudani

Tsukudani is a Japanese pickling technique that yields a salty-sweet condiment. Tsukudani is made by marinating seaweed, fish, or other ingredients in an umami-rich mixture of soy sauce and mirin. In Japan, tsukudani is typically served as a side dish with steamed rice, a garnish in a bento lunch box, or as filling for onigiri (rice balls). Pre-made tsukudani is available at Japanese grocery stores, but it's simple to make at home.

Tsukudani is both a pickling technique and a food. The most common ingredients for making tsukudani include:

1. 1. Kombu (dried kelp): Kombu tsukudani is often made with the kombu leftover from making dashi stock.
2. 2. Wakame: Top a bowl of rice with pickled strips of wakame seaweed.
3. 3. Nori: Nori is sheets of dried, toasted seaweed. It's much thinner than kombu or wakame, so it tends to form a paste when simmered.
4. 4. Clams: Shellfish, especially clams, are popular for tsukudani, adding salty, sweet, and fishy flavor to any dish.
5. 5. Small fish: Small, dried fish add flavor to tsukudani.
6. 6. Shiitake mushrooms: Marinated shiitake mushrooms add umami flavor and a pleasant, chewy texture to rice dishes.