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
