Fermented what?

Japan, like many other countries around the world, has a love affair with fermented foods.  One of the most popular dishes, miso soup, is made from fermented soybeans.  While miso is a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine, it is not the even the tip of the iceberg in regards to fermented foods here.

At practically every meal, a tiny dish of fermented vegetables, called tsukemono, is served.  The most famous types of tsukemono are the pickled ginger served with sushi, umeboshi served with rice, and takuan (crunch daikon pickles that are bright yellow) served with rice or inside sushi.  I typically have at least 4 different varieties of tsukemono in my fridge at any one time.  I am a huge fan of many fermented foods and these veggies are right up my alley.  I especially like the quick pickles that soak in a brine (other varieties are salted and then sit in a rice bran-based fermenting medium for weeks or months). 

When I purchased several pickle brines at the Lohas Festival, it was not out of character for me.  I knew they would not sit for long because I was really looking forward to using them.  Yesterday, my son and I hard boiled 20 quail eggs.  He had a lot of fun peeling the tiny eggs.  Once peeled and rinsed, we gently placed them in the curry brine.  We then cut up a cucumber and an eggplant to soak in the sweet black vinegar brine.

We know that the longer you soak everything, the better it will taste.  However, we couldn't help but taste everything just one day after putting it in the brine.  We were all very pleased with the outcomes.  I think we could have polished off the bag of vegetables in the black vinegar brine.  The eggs will taste even better tomorrow and the next day.