Pickled Cabbage

part of: Cabbage

Japanese-style pickled cabbage is a type of tsukemono — the broad family of Japanese pickled vegetables that accompany nearly every traditional meal. Unlike heavily fermented pickles, this is a fresh, lightly pickled preparation where the cabbage retains much of its crunch and natural sweetness, with just a gentle tang and saltiness.

In Australia, Japanese-style pickled vegetables have gained popularity alongside the broader enthusiasm for Japanese food. This style of pickled cabbage is quick to make at home and is a refreshing side dish served with rice, grilled meats, or as part of a bento box. Its light, clean flavour provides a palate-cleansing contrast to richer dishes.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Fresh cabbage leaves are cut into pieces, salted, and gently pressed or massaged to draw out moisture. The wilted cabbage is then briefly marinated in a mixture that may include rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, kombu, or chilli flakes. The pickling is quick — often just a few hours — producing a fresh, crunchy pickle rather than a deeply fermented one.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 30kcal
Protein 1.6g
Carbs 2.6g
Fat 0.1g
Fibre 3.1g Sugar 1.3g
Mass Distribution

1 cup is about 150 g — roughly 50 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈0.64kg
Freshwater ≈152.99L
Land ≈0.52m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

pickled condiment

Goes well with
rice pork sesame miso tofu
Classic dishes
  • Tonkatsu with Pickled Cabbage
  • Ramen Topping
  • Japanese Teishoku

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Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromCabbage, leaves goes well withrice goes well withpork goes well withsesame goes well withmiso goes well withtofu shares a sourceColeslaw shares a sourceCooked Cabbage shares a sourceGreen Cabbage shares a sourceSauerkraut
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