No. 40: Cultured's Burdock Kasu-Zuke

John Birdsall

Kasu-zuke ― burdock roots pickled with sake lees, $13 ― from Berkeley's Cultured.

​SFoodie's countdown of our 92 favorite things to eat and drink in San Francisco, 2011 edition.

​Coiled, dark-skinned, sprouting wiry root wisps like unplucked mole hairs ― Cultured's burdock pickles are frightening to look at, and that's after you rinse off the thick, beige goo. Straight from the jar they look like mini specimens of long-necked geoduck clams that somebody's punked your Jif with.

Cultured's owner admits to having a bit of a Japanese culinary fetish, especially when it comes to pickles. "It's a fascinating world, and generally unexplored," Alex Hozven says, "so different from Western pickling." For instance, Hozven's kasu-zuke burdock root uses neither brine nor vinegar to effect a pickle, but sake lees ― the leftovers of the sake-fermenting process, whitish solids sunk to the bottom of the tank. That's what Hozven likes about the lees, or "kasu" ("zuke" means "pickled"): They're garbage, essentially, like the rice bran Cultured mixes with salt to make its takuan pickles.

Hozven gets her sake lees from the Takara brewery in Berkeley, just blocks from the 5-year-old Cultured shop. She mixes the kasu with sea salt and sugar, and then buries scrubbed but unpeeled burdock roots (pressed with salt to leach out some of their moisture) in the pomade-like pickle anywhere from six months to a whole year. "I like them thoroughly infused," Hozven says.

We know what she means. The pickle schmear you rinse off has this gorgeous aroma of white miso tinged with caramel, and it's precisely that quality that's infused the crisp, earthy-tasting burdock. How to eat them? Sliced, tossed onto a bowl of rice with sauteed mustard greens maybe, or with grilled tofu or mackerel. Like Alex Hozven says, you get the sense these pickles are visitors from some very old and fascinating world. You don't want anything to distract you from seeing it.

Cultured Organic Pickle Shop: 800 Bancroft (at Fifth St.), Ste. 105, Berkeley, 510-540-5185. Open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Dishes in our series so far:

92: Goat tacos from El Norteño
91: Faux shark's fin soup at Benu
90: Esperpento's alcachofas a la plancha
89: Poco Dolce's olive oil chocolate bar
88: Decantr's chicken-liver mousseline
87: Outerlands' levain bread
86: Fraîche's frozen yogurt
85: Gyro King's spinach pie
84: Tandoori fish from Lahore Karahi
83: Braised oxtail and daikon from Namu
82: Golden Gate Bakery's custard tarts
81: Commonwealth's cured foie gras with umeboshi purée
80: Star Stream's Liège-style waffle
79: Mexican hot chocolate from La Oaxaqueña
78: Meatball sandwich from Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe
77: Cheesecake from Zanze's
76: Chicken pepian at San Miguel
75: Macau iced coffee at Vega/Special Xtra
74: Comstock Saloon's Pisco Punch
73: Hai Ky Mi Gia's duck leg noodle soup
72: Sauerbraten at Walzwerk
71: Boudin noir at Cafe Bastille
70: Blackstrap molasses gingerbread at Lotta's Bakery
69: Plow's crispy potatoes
68: Prospect's Catcher in the Rye
67: Pork banh mi from Little Vietnam Cafe
66: Nakaochi at Ippuku
65: Sidekick's chocolate spritzer
64: Farmhouse Culture's horseradish-leek sauerkraut
63: Destination Baking Co.'s challah
62: Cotogna's roasted carrots
61: Hard Knox Cafe's chicken and waffles
60: The Rebel Within from Tell Tale Preserve Co.
59: The Slanted Door's Whiskey Cocktail
58: Carnitas burrito from Taqueria San Francisco
57: Sakura mochi from Benkyodo
56: Birria at Gallardos
55: BBQ pork skewers at Fil-Am Cuisine
54: JapaCurry's katsu curry
53: Vegan flan at Gracias Madre
52: Cinderella Bakery's pelmeni
51: Locavore's maple andouille sausage
50: Lumpia from Hapa SF
49: Moonlight Brewing's Reality Czeck
48: Filetti pizza at Una Pizza Napoletana
47: Pupusas revueltas at La Santaneca
46: Khoresht ghaymeh at Maykadeh
45: Los Muertos at Gitane
44: Sandwich cookies from Sweet Constructions
43: Nicasio Valley Cheese Company's square
42: Nopalito's quesadilla roja
41: Croissant from Sandbox Bakery