KitchenNippon

Ingredients for 5 Servings
Daikon (大根 / Daikon) 200 g (Net after skinning)
Carrots (にんじん / Ninjin) 30 g
(If possible, use kyō carrots (京にんじん / Kyō ninjin))
Salt (塩/ Shio) 1/2 tsp (For prep)
Amazake (甘酒 / Amazake) 75 ml
(Use 1 1/2 tbsp of sugar if you don’t have amazake.)
Salt (塩/ Shio) 1/2 tsp
Vinegar (酢/ Su) 1/2 tbsp
Yuzu juice (柚子果汁 / Yuzu kajū) 1 tbsp
Yuzu zest (柚子の皮 / Yuzu no kawa) 1/2 yuzu worth

How to Make
1. Skin and julienne the daikon and carrot, cutting the daikon a little thicker than the carrot. Place the julienned daikon and carrot into a mixing bowl and evenly sprinkle on 1 tsp of salt. Set the bowl aside for at least an hour. Take the zest off of the yuzu and cut it into fine strips. Juice the yuzu. After the julienned daikon and carrot have sat for at least an hour, drain off the water and squeeze excess water out of the julienned daikon and carrot.
2. Add the amazake, salt, vinegar, and yuzu juice and zest to a sealable plastic bag. Mix the contents by massaging the bag with your hand. Put the bag into a refrigerator for at least an hour.

Significance of Namasu as an Osechi Dish
Namasu is a popular osechi dish because the thin white slices of daikon and the thin orange (red, if you stretch your imagination a bit) slices of carrot are reminiscent of the white and red strings that symbolize good fortune and are tied around gifts and envelopes of money, such as those often presented to children during the New Year holiday.