One of the best-kept secrets of Japanese cuisine is a range of side dishes known as tsukemono (つけもの, 漬物). The word, pronounced 'tskay-moh-noh, ' means 'something that has been steeped or marinated' (tsuke-steeped; mono-things). Although tsukemono are usually made from vegetables, some fruits, flowers, and a few rhizomes are also preserved this way; it is, therefore, more accurate to characterize them as...