Pickle Connoisseur

2026.01.23
Writer / 記事を書いた人
Brian
United States of America (アメリカ合衆国)

Hi, I’m Brian. I am from Chicago in the United States and I have been living in Japan for the past eight years. I spent the first six in the countryside of Fukuoka and now I live in the Kansai region. I love exploring new restaurants and trying new things.

Article

Pickle Connoisseur

▼ 記事の音声を再生

<Let's learn!>
・I would never have guessed
・strike up a conversation with
・out of curiosity

=====================================

One of the most fascinating parts of my time in Japan has been exploring the wide variety of pickles. Each region has its own unique ingredients and methods for making them. For example, in Kyushu, mustard greens are commonly pickled and served with rice, fried rice, or ramen. In Akita, daikon radishes are smoked and then pickled in rice malt, creating a deep, savory flavor.

Of all the pickles I’ve tried, my favorite is Chinese yam pickled with yuzu. I have only found it sold by specialty companies in Kyoto. It’s incredibly refreshing and has a great crunch, with the citrusy taste of yuzu. It is perfect for enjoying after being outside in the summer heat.

A close second is pickled mustard greens. I would never have guessed that the leaves of a mustard plant could be pickled. But they are fantastic with a salty and sharp flavor. It can be paired with many foods such as rice balls, fried rice and tonkotsu ramen.

Pickles have helped me connect with others around me when I go out to eat. Whenever I order them, especially in smaller restaurants, older people often strike up a conversation with me out of curiosity. Local people are very knowledgeable about the foods from the area. Connecting with people over different local foods has increased my knowledge of the areas that I visit and helped me make new friends.

Pickles are not just delicious—they're also a great way to connect with people and learn more about local culture. Please try them and explore the world of Japanese pickles.

日本語訳を見る

Key Points

Repeat each word(s) and example sentence(s) after your teacher/tutor.

I would never have guessed

~だとは想像もしなかった、~だなんて思いもしなかった

I would never have guessed that he could play the piano.

strike up a conversation with

会話を始める、~に話しかける

Tom can strike up a conversation with anyone at the party.

out of curiosity

好奇心から、興味本位で

I opened the box out of curiosity.

Key Vocabulary 重要単語・熟語

fascinating

fæs.ən.eɪ.tɪŋ

魅惑的な、うっとりさせる

形容詞

extremely interesting

She told us a fascinating story about her travels.

region

ˈriː.dʒən

地域、地方、地帯

名詞

a particular area or part of the world, or any of the large areas into which a country is divided

This region is famous for delicious apples.

ingredient

ɪnˈɡriː.di.ənt

材料、原料

名詞

a food that is used with other foods in the preparation of a particular dish

Sugar is a key ingredient in cookies.

knowledgeable

ˈnɑː.lɪ.dʒə.bəl

詳しい、知識のある、よく知っている

形容詞

knowing a lot

My grandfather is very knowledgeable about history.

explore

ɪkˈsplɔːr

探検する、調査する

動詞

to search and discover

Scientists use robots to explore the deep ocean.

Others その他

connoisseur

ˌkɑː.nəˈsɝː

鑑定家、玄人

名詞

a person who knows a lot about and enjoys one of the arts, or food, drink, etc. and can judge quality and skill in that subject

My father is a connoisseur of wine
.

mustard greens

ˌmʌs.tɚd ˈɡriːnz

からし菜、高菜

名詞

leaves of the mustard plant that are eaten as a vegetable

We are growing fresh mustard greens in our garden.

rice malt

raɪs mɔːlt

米麹

名詞

Rice that has been processed to start fermentation, used for making miso, sake, or pickles

The fish was marinated in rice malt and salt.

savory

ˈseɪ.vɚ.i

風味のある、塩味の効いた

形容詞

salty or spicy and not sweet in taste.

I prefer savory snacks to sweet snacks.

Chinese yam pickled with yuzu

ˌtʃaɪˈniːz jæm ˈpɪk.əld wɪð ˈjuː.zuː

長芋の柚子漬け

名詞

Raw Chinese yam slices that have been marinated/preserved using yuzu and salt/vinegar to create a crunchy, refreshing, and citrusy side dish.

My favorite side dish is Chinese yam pickled with yuzu.

crunch

krʌntʃ

硬いものかみ砕く音や触感、歯ごたえ

名詞

the sound of something hard being pressed or crushed

The toast has a perfect crunch.

citrusy

ˈsɪt.rə.si

柑橘系、シトラス系の

形容詞

tasting or smelling of citrus fruit

The sauce has a citrusy taste.

Practice

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.

(___)(___)(___)(___)(___) that he is 40 years old.

ヒント:I would never have guessed

回答を見る

(I) (would) (never) (have) (guessed) that he is 40 years old.

I decided to (___)(___)(___)(___)(___) the new student.

ヒント:strike up a conversation with

回答を見る

I decided to (strike) (up) (a) (conversation) (with) the new student.

I followed the cat (___)(___)(___).

ヒント:out of curiosity

回答を見る

I followed the cat (out) (of) (curiosity).

Article

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your teacher/tutor.

Pickle Connoisseur

<Let's learn!>
・I would never have guessed
・strike up a conversation with
・out of curiosity

=====================================

One of the most fascinating parts of my time in Japan has been exploring the wide variety of pickles. Each region has its own unique ingredients and methods for making them. For example, in Kyushu, mustard greens are commonly pickled and served with rice, fried rice, or ramen. In Akita, daikon radishes are smoked and then pickled in rice malt, creating a deep, savory flavor.

Of all the pickles I’ve tried, my favorite is Chinese yam pickled with yuzu. I have only found it sold by specialty companies in Kyoto. It’s incredibly refreshing and has a great crunch, with the citrusy taste of yuzu. It is perfect for enjoying after being outside in the summer heat.

A close second is pickled mustard greens. I would never have guessed that the leaves of a mustard plant could be pickled. But they are fantastic with a salty and sharp flavor. It can be paired with many foods such as rice balls, fried rice and tonkotsu ramen.

Pickles have helped me connect with others around me when I go out to eat. Whenever I order them, especially in smaller restaurants, older people often strike up a conversation with me out of curiosity. Local people are very knowledgeable about the foods from the area. Connecting with people over different local foods has increased my knowledge of the areas that I visit and helped me make new friends.

Pickles are not just delicious—they're also a great way to connect with people and learn more about local culture. Please try them and explore the world of Japanese pickles.

Questions

Answer the questions based on the article.

Are all Japanese pickles made the same way?

ヒント:Each region has ….

回答を見る

No, they aren't. Each region has its own unique ingredients and methods for making them.

What is the writer’s favorite pickles?

ヒント:my favorite is …

回答を見る

His favorite is Chinese yam pickled with yuzu.

According to the writer, pickles are a great way to do what?

ヒント:they're also a great way to …

回答を見る

Connect with people and learn more about local culture.

Discussion

Let’s have a discussion about the theme with your teacher/tutor or classmates.

With your teacher/tutor 先生とのディスカッション

Do you like pickles?

Yes, I do./ No, I don't.

What are your favorite pickles? ( Why don’t you like pickles?)

My favorite pickle is ~. / Because ~.

Other than pickles, what Japanese food has regional variations?

~ has regional variations.

With your classmates クラスメートとのディスカッション

What Japanese pickles would you recommend to a tourist to try?

I would recommend ~.

Do you like to try local food when you travel? And why?

Yes, I do./ No, I don't. Because~

What stimulates your curiosity? And why?

~ stimulates my curiosity./ I am curious about ~.
Because ~.