Why source from Japan
Nara has 1,200+ year nara-zuke heritage; Imanishi Honke and other small-scale producers maintain multi-year sake-kasu rotation.
Key spec
Alcohol 5-7%; salt 5-10%; multi-year aging produces characteristic amber-brown color and concentrated flavour.
Typical end-product
Premium gift retail, fine-dining tsukemono accent, hospitality export.
At a glance
- Suppliers listed
- Phase 1 onboarding in progress
- Typical MOQ
- 5–25 kg pickled; 1–10 kg gift-grade
- Typical lead time
- 10–20 weeks (heritage aging)
- Regions of origin
- Nara (Imanishi Honke and other heritage producers)
- Category
- Food ingredients
- Harvest season
- Vegetables seasonal; pickling 6 months – 3 years
- Japan regulatory status
- Food product; alcohol-content labelling for sake-kasu pickle
- Japanese name
- 奈良漬
- Romaji
- 奈良漬
About this ingredient
Sake-lees (sake kasu) pickled vegetables — a Nara Prefecture specialty with 1,200+ year documented history. Most commonly applied to uri (Japanese melon), white melon, watermelon, ginger, and cucumber. The pickling process uses recycled sake-kasu in 5+ rotations spanning 6 months to several years. Imanishi Honke and Shoutoku-no-mori are reference Nara producers; the long aging produces alcohol carryover ~5-7% in finished pickles, complicating halal and child-product labelling. Distinct from existing fermented food entries.
Regulatory status
| Japan | Food product; alcohol-content labelling for sake-kasu pickle |
|---|---|
| EU | Food import; alcohol-content labelling |
| United States | GRAS; FDA Prior Notice |
| China | GACC; alcohol-content labelling |
Looking for alternatives?
Common reasons buyers swap to a different ingredient — and what we'd suggest based on this ingredient's profile.
Vegan / plant-based alternatives
Nara-zuke (Sake-Kasu Pickled Vegetables) is animal-derived. If you need a non-animal source with similar functions, consider:
Sansho Pepper
山椒
Zanthoxylum piperitum source; INCI Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract; MOQ from 1–10 kg (dried peppercorn); 100 g – 5 kg (powder).
Plant-based· shares 3 categories
Wasabi Powder
山葵粉末
Wasabia japonica (Eutrema japonicum) source; INCI Wasabia Japonica Root Powder; MOQ from 1–10 kg (powder); 100 kg+ (bulk paste).
Plant-based· shares 3 categories
Shio Koji
塩麹
MOQ from 20–100 kg.
Plant-based· shares 3 categories
When does it make sense to swap an ingredient? Read the swap guide →
Japanese suppliers
Phase 1 manufacturer onboarding is in progress. If you are actively sourcing this ingredient and would like to be introduced to candidate Japanese producers, send an inquiry and our team will return with options.
Disclaimer
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Last updated: 2026-05-05