Aug. 28, 2020 UPDATE
Nishiri Gion
- 西利 祇園店 -Traveler Friendly
English-speaking staff will let you know what ingredients the pickles are made with. The shop is near Yasaka Shrine, so you can stop by while sightseeing.
Information
Japanese only
Languages spoken
Japanese, English
Story & Recommendation
A Taste of Kyoto! Famous Japanese Pickles Loved Throughout the Country
The Gion branch of Nishiri, a shop famed for its tsukemono (pickles), is a short 6-minute walk from Yasaka Shrine. This traditional establishment is popular enough to be known by nearly all of the locals. In addition to standard pickles, the Gion shop is known for its collection of unique pickles that are found nowhere else in the world. The Japanese delight in the diverse lineup of products ranging from everyday vegetables pickled in soy sauce, salt or miso to more unique products that use ingredients like apples or cherry blossoms. At Nishiri, emphasizing the natural flavors of the vegetable is a top priority. For this reason, they the carefully manage the fields and seeds used to grow their pickling vegetables. Only the vegetables of superior quality are made into pickles and sold to customers. What’s more, they’ve put their efforts into producing delicious, healthy pickles, introducing vegetables pickled with healthy labelle bacteria. Don’t miss out on its beautifying effects! Another upside is that much of their product line can be carried at home at room temperature. Share a healthy bite with your friends and family!
1Recommend!
Aji no kobukuro (6 packs of tsukemono set)
/ ￥1,080(tax-included)
This value set from Nishiri contains 6 standard kinds of pickles. You can carry it home at room temperature. The set contains a collection of traditional Kyoto pickles. One of them, Shiba-zuke, is one of Kyoto’s three great pickle dishes. This famous pickle is made with minced eggplant and red shiso pickled in salt. Its mouth-watering, appetite-inducing sourness will have you coming back again and again. Another pickle is Harihari-zuke—the satisfying crunch of daikon radish is to die for. The contents of the set change with the season.
2Recommend!
Bite-Size Daikon Radish
/ ￥432/ 80g(tax-included)
lovely Japanese soy sauce and miso flavors, it also comes in flavors such as curry and honey lemon—surprising even for the Japanese! A must-try is the Matcha-miso flavor. The interplay of robust daikon radish and a softer Matcha and miso mix makes for an exquisite and curious taste. This flavor is only available in the Kyoto branch. Don’t miss your chance to get it!
3Check it out!
Sliced apples with labelle bacteria
/ ￥534 /150g (tax-included)
An unusual pickle dish made with apples. This healthy option is pickled with labelle bacteria, which is known for its immune-boosting and gut-healing effects. Combine it with yogurt or ice cream for a dessert-like experience. This one needs to be refrigerated—try it for breakfast at your hotel.
4Check it out!
Salted cherry blossom
/ ￥432 /50g(tax-included)
Cherry blossoms pickled in salt. Put the flower petals in hot water or tea and watch them bloom—the beauty of it will put a smile on your face. Just like that, your cherry blossom tea is ready. Be sure to gently shake off the salt before using with hot water or tea to keep the flavor from becoming too strong.
How to buy
The shop has baskets available. Pick out what you want and bring it to the counter for a smooth shopping process.
- Shopping Tips -
Samples are available for products sold in the store. Take the tongs in the sampling corner, place the pickles in the palm of your hand, and give it a taste!
