Misozuke (Miso Pickles) (味噌漬け)
Vegetables rested in miso until the paste seasons them through - a pickle and a use for miso in one.
| Method family | Vegetables buried in miso (sometimes thinned with mirin seasoning); short misozuke is seasoning, long-kept misozuke ferments gently in the paste |
|---|---|
| Examples | Daikon and vegetable misozuke sold as regional specialities; Nara's melons pickled long in miso and sake lees traditions sit nearby |
Miso is both a preservative bed and a flavour: its salt protects the vegetable while its savoury depth soaks in. Wiped - not washed - of paste before serving, misozuke has an intensity no quick pickle reaches.
Commercial misozuke abroad travels better than fresh pickles because the paste protects it. At home, misozuke is also the standard rescue for the last third of a miso tub: vegetables rested in it for a day make a pickle and change nothing about the remaining miso's safety - keep tools clean and the tub refrigerated as usual.
See also
What is miso?Related page in this guide.Kasuzuke
Related page in this guide.
Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), 'Traditional Foods in Japan'; JAS soy sauce standards; Umami Information Center; Kikkoman official information; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Checked 6 November 2026.