Protected local food
Tottori Sakyu Rakkyo
鳥取砂丘らっきょう
Rakkyo, a small Japanese shallot, grown in sand fields beside the Tottori Sand Dunes. Firm, white and very crisp, usually eaten pickled.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 10 March 2016
- Region
- Chugoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 鳥取砂丘らっきょう
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 鳥取県鳥取市福部町内の鳥取砂丘に隣接した砂丘畑
Grown in the sand
Next to the famous Tottori Sand Dunes, in Fukube-cho, farmers grow rakkyo in fields of pure sand, up to 70 metres deep. The soil is poor, the wind is strong and dry, and there is little extra water or nutrient. That tough setting suits rakkyo, which grows firm instead of soft.
White and crisp
The bulbs are tight, with layers of almost the same thickness all the way through, so they keep a clean, snappy crunch. They are also notably white. The fields are also known as Fukube sand dune rakkyo.
Sweet pickles on the side
Rakkyo is mostly pickled in sweet vinegar and served next to Japanese curry rice, the way pickles come with a sandwich. It is sharp, sweet and crunchy all at once.
Good to know
- Visiting the Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori? Look for rakkyo pickles at the shops by the dunes.
- If you see a jar of rakkyo next to curry in Japan, try a few. They cut through the richness of the sauce.
Questions travellers ask
What is rakkyo?
A small bulb in the onion family, close to a shallot. In Japan it is usually pickled in sweet vinegar.
Where does Tottori Sakyu Rakkyo grow?
In sand fields next to the Tottori Sand Dunes, in Fukube-cho, Tottori city.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.