Quick-pickled with Salt, He Said!
My friend from Ishigaki sent me some *shima-rakkyo* (island scallions). He told me to either quick-pickle them with salt or make tempura. Tempura sounded like a bit of a hassle, and the recipe they sent for quick-pickling looked super easy and delicious, so I decided to try quick-pickling them this time.
Now that I think about it, there was no need to quick-pickle all of them at once at this particular moment (I totally should’ve made tempura, lol). But I washed them all at once, peeled the thin skins, and quick-pickled them. I didn’t have *shiro-dashi* (white dashi stock), so I substituted with *mentsuyu* (noodle soup base) and lightly pickled them with salt.
That Pungent Kick and Bitterness are Irresistible!
When I think of *rakkyo* (scallions), sweet vinegar pickles usually come to mind, so I was surprised by the taste when I first tried it. Of course, the flavor would be different since they were pickled with salt and *mentsuyu*, but that unique pungent kick and bitterness are just irresistible. This calls for beer… And then, when I ate them with some smoked cheese that magically appeared in front of me and washed it down with beer, it was an infinite loop of deliciousness… I’m so glad I pickled a lot!
I wonder if this taste is specific to *shima-rakkyo* from Ishigaki/Okinawa. Or would regular *rakkyo*, like the kind I saw sold at Tottori Sand Dunes the other day, also have this unique pungency and bitterness if prepared the same way? Anyway, it was delicious! Thanks for the wonderful meal!
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