On November 8, 2023, the first day of winter, one of the 24 solar terms, pickling season for the winter delicacy ''Senmaizuke'' reached its peak. At a pickle company in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, craftsmen in happi coats energetically cut Shogoin turnips and stacked them in barrels.
The sweetness of turnip increases as it cools down, so senmaizuke is said to taste best when it cools down. On this day, craftsmen at the head office of Daian (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City), a major pickle company, made a sound of ''shut'' as they carved the turnips into thin pieces with a planer and stacked them in a circular motion in a wooden barrel. Marinated for 3 days with salt and 2 days with kelp and seasoning liquid.
This year, the intense heat of summer affected the growth of turnips, and sales of senmaizuke were delayed by about a month and a half compared to previous years. President Yasushi Osumi said, ''I was worried about what would happen, so I finally felt like I could make something delicious.''
