Choosing souvenirs in Kyoto is fun but hard because there are so many choices!

Aside from sweets, what type of souvenirs are there?

When you travel to Kyoto, you may be wondering what souvenirs to bring back home. There is no end to the variety of souvenirs you can choose from, including sweets made with local Kyoto ingredients such as green tea, limited edition Kyoto products, and sundries unique to Kyoto. In addition, you have to consider the preferences of the people to whom you are giving the souvenirs which may cause you to have an even harder time choosing. In this article, we would like to introduce Kyoto’s pickles, Kyo tsukemono, as a souvenir for those who do not like sweets or do not want to receive packaged or boxed sweets.

Kyoto’s pickles: Kyo Tsukemono

Pickles are a traditional Japanese preserved food, and each region has its own unique characteristics. Kyoto pickles are called kyo tsukemono and are made from Kyoto’s traditional vegetables, kyo yasai, and lightly salted to preserve the flavor of the ingredients. Among them, senmaizuke, suguki, and shibazuke are regarded as the three major Kyoto pickles, and most Japanese people have heard of them at least once.

One of our recommendations is Uchida Tsukemono

What kind of pickle shop is it?

We would like to introduce you to Uchida Tsukemono, which has stores in Shimabara and Nishiki Market in Kyoto.

“The deliciousness of Kyoto tsukemono depends on how they have been grown in the fields. It is necessary to be prepared to live and maintain the soil for a long time to make tsukemono, not just for the sake of appearance or short-term profit.”

From the Uchida Tsukemono website

Since its establishment in 1940, Uchida Tsukemono has been committed to consistently managing its pickles from the field, valuing the ingredients’ natural flavors and the deliciousness and tenderness of the vegetables themselves.

What kind of pickles do they have?

From the standard pickles of Kyoto vegetables to asazuke (lightly pickled vegetables), anzuke (pickles in salted rice-bran paste), and kimchi (an unusual type of kimchi). Prices start at 300 yen per serving, making them an easy purchase.

Recommended Souvenirs

One of the concerns when choosing souvenirs is how long they will last. For souvenirs, considering that they are to be given to the recipients, products with a long shelf life may be recommended. For example, the standard shibazuke has a long shelf life of 29 days, so it is safe even if you cannot give it immediately. Maru suguki and mibunazuke also have a relatively long shelf life of 19 days, so you can enjoy them at your leisure after giving them to your friends and/or family.

On the other hand, if you want to enjoy them at home while soaking up the memories of Kyoto, you can choose from standard pickles such as senmaizuke and mibunazuke kimchi, or yorozuke, a popular product made from sun-dried daikon radish in rice bran. It is fun to buy a combination of various items since the quantity of each item is not too large.

Uchida Tsukemono also has an Instagram page that introduces simple healthy recipes using pickles. It might be a good idea to find a new way to eat pickles by referring to this page.

Products Recommended by Hotel Staff

All pickles are delicious, but we asked our staff for their favorite products.

　Wasabi-Flavor Nagaimo. It has a perfect balance between the crunchy and slimy texture.

Testimonial from Staff A

　Green Ball Kimchi. It is made with cabbage and goes well with rice. I look forward to this seasonal dish every year!

Staff B’s Testimonial

　Shibazuke. The crispy texture is different from others.

Testimonial from Staff C

　All of them! Goes great with the Kyoto rice we serve for breakfast at the hotel!

Testimonial from General Manager

You can also taste them at THE GATE HOTEL KYOTO TAKASEGAWA!

Pickles for Breakfast

At The Gate Hotel Kyoto Takasegawa, pickles from Uchida Tsukemono are served with the “Japanese Set Breakfast”. These crunchy pickles are the perfect way to wake up in the morning. New tsukemono pickles are regularly added to the menu.

Snacks for Sake

The Lobby Lounge & Bar on the 8th floor of THE GATE HOTEL KYOTO TAKASEGAWA offers “Uchida-san’s Pickles Assortment” for 660 yen (tax included). Enjoy it with your favorite beverage at the bar overlooking the Higashiyama ridge.

Where to buy

There are only two places in Kyoto where Uchida-san’s pickles can be purchased: the main store in Shimabara, Kyoto, and the Nishiki-koji store in Nishiki Market. We highly recommend that you stop by the shops when you are in the Shimabara area of Kyoto or strolling around Nishiki Market.
The Nishiki-koji branch is a 9-minute walk from THE GATE HOTEL KYOTO TAKASEGAWA.

*Please contact the store directly for the latest information on business hours and holidays.

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