Muraoka no Chorogi: A Unique Japanese Pickle Snack
Karikari Ume is one of the most commonly eaten pickle snacks in Japan, about which I wrote an article before.
Made with unripe ume plums, Karikari Ume are pickled ume plums that are different from Umeboshi plums, featuring a pleasant crisp bite.
Actually, what I introduce here “Muraoka no Chorogi (ムラオカのチョロギ)” is also a pickled snack characterized by its nicely crisp texture like Karikari Ume.
But what kind of pickle snack is it?
Muraoka no Chorogi (ムラオカのチョロギ)
The Japanese pickle snack named “Chorogi (チョロギ)” was introduced by Muraoka Foods in September 2017.
Although I’m a Japanese man born and grew up in Japan, I didn’t know what Chorogi is until now. So today, I looked it up on google.
What is Chorogi?
Based on the result, the synonym or English word for Chorogi is Chinese artichoke, which is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Lamiaceae originating from China.
Image: Wikipedia チョロギ
The tuberous root of Chinese artichoke is edible and can be eaten as it is. In Japan, the root vegetable Chorogi is typically pickled in salt, seasoned and colored with ume vinegar or red shiso (perilla) vinegar.
The resulting red pickled Chorogi is actually known as one of the “Osechi Ryori (おせち料理)” special dishes prepared for the new year.
Muraoka’s Chorogi Pickle Snack
As with Osechi-version Chorogi, this one from Muraoka Foods is also red, seasoned with salt and ume vinegar. Thus, they are essentially the same thing.
This is why, with these red pickled Chorogi, you can enjoy one of Japan’s Osechi dishes whenever you want to.
Taste-wise, the snack Muraoka no Chorogi is somewhat vinegary but rather has a refreshing acidic taste.
Ingredients
According to the ingredient list on the back of the package, the Muraoka no Chorogi pickle snack mainly consists of Chinese artichoke, high-fructose corn syrup, ume vinegar, salt, fermented seasoning, yeast extract, alcohol, amino acid seasoning, acidifier, flavoring, sorbic acid, and color (red 102).
Where to Buy
For those who are interested, the Muraoka no Chorogi pickle snack is available at many supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan.
I grow this plant at home. I cannot find the pickles for sale on any of the sites that sell Japanese products. I wish someone would sell this for purchase to us in the United States. Thank-you for your article on this interesting treat.
Thank you for commenting.
I also wish someone would sell it overseas. The Japanese snack is quite distinctive not only in shape but also in taste.
But because of its unique taste, I think you will either love it or hate it.