Blowing in sea breeze, flavor is condensed

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:49 JST, November 26, 2022

Daikon radishes are hung up to dry in the sun and wind on the coast in Miura, Kanagawa Prefecture, a winter tradition of this region.

On the beach, daikon radishes are lined up like white curtains under the sunshine while blowing in the sea breeze.

“Drying [daikon] in the sun is a characteristic of this season,” said a worker at Yamaju farm. “I want consumers to enjoy the concentrated umami flavor and texture of sun-dried daikon.”

The radishes will be sun-dried for about a week and then pickled in barrels for 10 days or so. Then, they will be processed into “takuan” pickles and other products and shipped to the market.