Red turnip pickles are a traditional dish unique to the Tsugaru region. The pickles are made with dashi kelp, vinegar, coarse sugar, and red turnip that was harvested just before the first snow of the year, all together giving the pickle a sweet-sour flavor. It is a type of comfort food that each family has handed down from generation to generation. Typically, the red turnip is combined with all ingredients at the same time around November and becomes ready around early spring.
Red turnip pickles are a part of traditional Aomori food culture as a supplemental dish during the harsh winter as well as an accompaniment to alcohol.
In Aomori, red turnip pickles use red turnips cultivated in the Tsugaru region. The red color of the turnip brightens up when mixed with vinegar producing beautiful red pickles without the need for artificial coloring.
