Southern part of Riku in the prefecture

Daikon radish, rice bran, salt, sugar (coarse)

Takuanzuke is Akita's typical smoked and dried daikon pickles. It is now made throughout the prefecture, but in the past it was a local dish made by farmers in the land area of the prefecture.
In Akita, where winter comes early, especially in the southern land area of the prefecture, the moist westerly winds from the Sea of Japan are blocked by the Ou Mountains from late autumn to winter, resulting in more rainfall and snowfall, shorter hours of sunlight, and lower temperatures. Due to the deep snowy environment where the sun-dried daikon radishes for making takuan (sweet dumplings) would drop below freezing without being sufficiently dried, the daikon radishes were dried on the hearth of the house. The heat and smoke from the hearth fire enhanced the preservation of the daikon, and by soaking them in rice bran and salt to remove the moisture, the daikon could be eaten over the winter. In addition, the winter temperatures slow fermentation, and the smoked aroma on the daikon and the pickled ingredients fuse with each other with a good salinity, creating a unique umami and flavor. This takuan pickles dried over an open hearth is said to be the prototype of iburigakko, which originated in the Muromachi period (1333-1573) and was produced in almost every household in this area. Iburi" means "smoked" and "gakko" is the dialect word for "pickles" in Akita.

The preparation of freshly harvested root vegetables such as daikon and carrots begins before the snowfall season arrives. It is a product of the wisdom of Akita's snowy climate, and is indispensable for supporting the health and livelihood of the local people who are snow-bound for long periods of time.

The daikon radishes are washed in cold water, and the daikon ropes are braided by hand, starting with the thickest ones, in order to ensure that they are smoked evenly. Smoke the daikon for 2 to 5 days with smoke from burning oak, cherry, or other hardwood logs. Sprinkled with rice bran, salt, and sugar (pomelo), the daikon is left to ferment and mature for at least two months. Remove from the barrel, rinse off the rice bran in cold water, cut into thin slices, and serve. It is eaten not only as an accompaniment to rice, but also as a snack with sake and tea. The taste is handed down from family to family, and is enjoyed by guests as a dish of hospitality, or praised by neighbors and friends for the year's best iburigakko.

(Overview of the people who have passed on the tradition, preservation associations, use of SNS, and modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)
Currently, the number of households making iburigakko as a wintertime preservation food is decreasing, and the number of producers who make iburigakko as a local product is increasing.
The production areas are not limited to the southern inland regions, but are spreading throughout the prefecture. Iburi gakko is widely sold at supermarkets, direct sales outlets, and online, and restaurants serve iburi gakko or various dishes made with iburi gakko. Recognition of iburigakko as a food ingredient is growing, and recipes using iburigakko are spreading on the Internet and social networking services.
In 2017, the Akita Prefecture Iburi Guko Promotion Council was established by three organizations in Akita Prefecture (Akita Prefecture Pickles Cooperative Association, Yokote City Iburi Guko Activation Council, and Akita Iburi Guko Cooperative Association), and in 2019, "iburigakko" was registered as a GI (geographical indication). In order to preserve and pass on the Iburi Gakko production method, which has been handed down through the climate and food culture of Akita Prefecture, and to improve its quality, certain standards were established for the smoking method, ingredients used for pickling, and maturation period. Producers in the prefecture are united in their efforts to improve quality and increase demand through daily educational activities.