Kato Jun Tsukemono Ten

Kyoto winters have a unique chill that seeps in from below, giving a sensation like ice coursing through your body. The benigara lattice glimmers coldly in the back of the store, where freshly washed daikon radishes shine, while the storefronts bustle with the dark blue of pickled vegetables.

As these winter days continue, one morning brings a bright yellow and refreshing green to life—it's the season for nanohana-zuke (rapeseed pickles) to make their debut. Spring may only exist in this small dish for now, but within the subtly bitter and delicate flavor, people sense the approach of a gentle spring in the royal castle.