Teppo Zuke: What kind of Japanese Pickle is it?

As I wrote in the previous article, “Tsukemono (漬物)” is the Japanese generic term for pickles,

and in the name of the dish, the suffix for it “Zuke (漬)” is often used, like “Narazuke (奈良漬)” and “Teppozuke (鉄砲漬)”.

Nara Zuke is a pickle Nara Prefecture prides itself on, but what kind of Tsukemono is Teppo Zuke?

Since today I got the Japanese pickle, let’s check the contents and take a close look at it.

Teppo Zuke (鉄砲漬, てっぽう漬)

Teppo Zuke originated in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, and now has become its local specialty.

In addition to Chiba, Nagano and Gunma are well-known for their Teppo Zuke pickles, and the one pictured above is from Nagano.

As with Nara Zuke, Teppo Zuke is made of oriental pickling melon or Shiro-Uri,

and the word “Teppo (鉄砲, てっぽう)” meaning “gun” in Japanese characterizes the Tsukemono pickle.

In the making, the seeds of an oriental pickling melon or Shiro-Uri are hollowed out

where the green chili peppers rolled in shiso (perilla) leaves are stuffed to make the Shiro-Uri look like the gun barrel that’s been filled with gunpowder.

And for that reason, the Japanese pickle was given the name Teppo Zuke.

Since the prepared Shiro-Uri is pickled in a seasoning liquid of soy sauce and mirin, the resulting pickle has a good combination of sweet and spicy.

The Tsukemono is a perfect match for a warm bowl of white rice and is also favored as a relish that goes well with sake.

Ingredients and Nutrition Facts

Lastly, here are the ingredients list and nutrition facts label of the Teppo Zuke pickle. According to that,

the pickling solution consists of soy sauce, sugars, amino acid liquid, fermented seasoning, brewed vinegar, protein hydrolyzate, and salt.

The calories per 100 grams are 65 kcal, and the pickled Shiro-Uri contains 6.1 g of salt equivalents.