Oshinko: What is it? Taste and Easy Sushi Roll Recipe to Try

Oshinko is a Japanese pickle that is often eaten wrapped sushi roll. It is a well-known staple dish in Japan because it is very easy to eat. It's also effortless to recreate at home. We highly recommend that you try it out, especially if you are looking for lunchtime grab-and-go options! 

We've done all the hard work and researched some of the easiest recipes. Finally, we've found the best one for you to try. Read on to find out more!

Jump to:

• What is Oshinko?
• What does Oshinko taste like?
• Uses
• Oshinko or Tsukemono
• Takuan vs Oshinko
• Oshinko Health Benefits
• How to make Oshinko
• Oshinko Roll Ingredients
• Storing
• Oshinko Roll Recipe | Easy Japanese Pickled Radish Sushi

What is Oshinko?

Oshinko are Japanese pickled vegetables that sushi masters make using daikon radishes. They will also add turmeric or food colouring to brighten it up.

You can also use other vegetables, such as cucumber or cabbage. Or try Oshinko mushroom wrapped with other vegetables if you do not want to use egg for your sushi rolls. 

You can use different kinds of seasoning, such as sake if you are not a fan of the typical oshinko taste of vinegar.

What does Oshinko taste like?

Oshinko is slightly sour and mildly salty because of the pickling vinegar. This sweet-salty taste makes pickled vegetables in sushi so good when paired with sushi rice.

Daikon radish itself tastes sweet and mild before it is pickled. The taste of daikon is less overpowering compared to other types of radishes. The texture of daikon is softer when you bite into it and tastes almost like potatoes when cooked.

A similar vegetarian ingredient in sushi is kanpyo. Kanpyo is a bunch of dried strips of gourds. Chefs sometimes season kanpyo with sugar or salt before including it in a sushi roll. Furthermore, it has a satisfying snap when you take a bite, and you can try using it if you are looking for alternatives to mushy eggs or shrimp. 

It is also an excellent option for vegan sushi, something a little different from Kappa roll. 

Uses

We can use daikon radish as a single filling in a roll, and it's usually called an oshinko maki. This sushi roll has rice and daikon wrapped in seaweed and sectioned into bite-sized pieces. Similarly, it could also be something to put in a Ikura Gunkan. 

These Japanese pickles wrapped in sushi rice and seaweed are a refreshing vegan item that you can eat as a snack or as your main meal. It also helps weight management since it's only 160 calories. 

However, note that it's not gluten-free, so you should avoid it if you are allergic to gluten.

Apart from making an oshinko roll, you can also find daikon radish as a standalone side dish. While many Japanese eat it as a side dish after having some savoury meat since it helps cleanse the palate, you can also add it to other dishes. They also add fermented rice malt to create a type of tsukemono (pickled side dish) known as bettarazuke.

An oshinko sushi typically only has daikon radishes, but you may use other pickled vegetables. In addition, you might include other ingredients such as egg or shrimp. We will show you how to make your homemade sushi in the sections below. 

Oshinko or Tsukemono

Oshinko refers to daikon radishes pickled for a short time in vinegar, while Tsukemono can refer too many different types of Japanese pickles. 

Tsukemono translates to "pickled thing," a broad category of Japanese pickles which might be fermented. Therefore, the main differences are the ingredients, time, and processes in pickling them.

Chefs like to pickle many types of food, from vegetables to seafood such as fish or fish roe. They will soake some of these foods for a long time to bring out the ingredient's flavour.

Takuan vs Oshinko

Oshinko is usually pickled for a few days or 2-3 weeks with vinegar, while Takuan is fermented for months.

While both use daikon radishes, the Japanese usually only make takuan once a year due to its lengthy process. The radish needs to be pickled first in salt, then fermented in more salt and rice bran for two to three months. The resulting colour is a yellowish tinge and a deliciously concentrated sourness.

Oshinko Health Benefits

Oshinko is low in calories but very high in fibre. In addition, the vegetable itself has Vitamin C, which builds a healthy immune system.

Additionally, the pickling process releases several beneficial enzymes that help with digestion and can fight against cancer.

How to make Oshinko

If you want to make oshinko, you need 450 grams (one pound) of daikon radishes. First, peel the radishes into thin strips and place them in a jar with two tablespoons of vinegar and one tablespoon of salt.

You can also add a third of a teaspoon of sugar. Then seal the jar and place it in the refrigerator for two to three days. You can also ferment in the jar for two to three weeks if you want a more robust flavour.

The benefit of making your own pickled vegetables is choosing the variety of vegetables you want. 

You can also choose the seasoning you want, as store-bought oshinko may not suit your tastes. Apart from vinegar, those who like spicy food can add chilies and turmeric. It's also fresher as you can control when you buy the ingredients.

Knowing how to make your own oshinko is helpful, especially if you don't have an Asian supermarket nearby. Thus, you will always have this ingredient for your favourite sushi rolls by learning how to make your own. 

You do, however, really need to plan and buy the ingredients. It might be a bit of a hassle, but we promise it's worth the effort. It can be a staple for a quick ready-made meal. 

This is a healthy ingredient that you can use for a lot of different things. You might want to buy a packet and keep it in the fridge, ready to eat. 

Oshinko Roll Ingredients

Here are the oshinko roll ingredients you need: daikon radish, sushi rice, and seaweed sheets. You will also need vinegar, salt, and sugar to preserve the daikon if you are not buying ready-made pickled vegetables. 

Be sure to find Japanese short-grain rice to get that sticky, chewy texture for the sushi rice. Also, you will need the rice to stick together to make a compact product.

If you think you want to make sushi rolls often, it's also a good idea to invest in essential tools such as a sushi rolling mat.

Finally, if you are ready to buy ingredients to follow our oshinko roll recipe, note that any Asian supermarket or online store should have what you need. 

Storing

After washing and cutting up your daikon radish, you can soak it in the jar and cover it with the lid before placing it in the fridge. It's ready to eat once you've stored it for a minimum of two days, but you can keep it preserved in the refrigerator for up to a month. 

AharaKitchen on Youtube, demonstrates how she makes this simple yet delicious dish at home in her short video. We recommend checking the video out to quickly understand how to make it.

OSHINKOMAKI(Japanese pickled daikon radish) #shorts

This pickled vegetable has a refreshing flavour and is very versatile. It makes an easy-to-go snack or even a quick meal. 

Try the recipe and tag us on social media @honestfoodtalks when you get rolling, we would love to see your final work! Don’t forget to give us a follow too!