Have you ever noticed oshinko roll on sushi restaurant menus and wondered what exactly it is? Here’s everything you need to know about this popular Japanese ingredient, and how to make oshinko maki at home. 

An overhead close-up photo of oshinko rolls with avocado and cucumber. A delicious veggie sushi recipe.

On a recent trip to Hawaii, we stopped at a great little sushi place called Hawaii Sushi. We always love to get lots of veggie rolls like avocado, cucumber, and salad roll. One veggie maki we weren’t as familiar with was the Oshinko Roll. 

We realized you may be wondering about this ingredient and type of veggie sushi too, so we headed to our local Asian market to learn all we could about Oshinko. 

A small white ramekin filled with bright yellow rounds of sliced oshinko (pickled daikon radish).

What is Oshinko? 

Oshinko is Japanese pickled vegetables, most commonly made with Daikon radish. Daikon, also knows as white radish or Japanese radish, resembles a large white carrot, and is popular in Asian cuisines. Though it is made with white Daikon radish, oshinko is bright yellow in color, as yellow food coloring is traditionally added the pickling liquid. 

Oshinko is found packaged individually in plastic and refrigerated. You may also find it labeled as takauan in Korean cuisine or simply pickled radish

What does pickled radish taste like? This ingredient tastes mild, sweet, juicy, and crunchy. Daikon is a milder and less peppery radish variety. 

A bowl of sushi rice, a package of oshinko, and nori sit on a marble countertop.

Where to Buy 

In the United States, Oshinko is the easiest to find in Asian markets. However, in some areas, it may be readily available in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near other Asian foods such as tofu. While I’ve never seen it in a grocery store here in Santa Barbara, CA, I’ve noticed plenty in a mainstream grocery store on Oahu. 

If you can’t find pickled Daikon locally, you can make it yourself. In fact, it would probably be even healthier and tastier to make at home. Here is one simple recipe. I would recommend using turmeric instead of food dye. 

Oshinko maki sushi rolls on a white plate with a small dish of soy sauce in the background.

Oshinko Maki (Sushi Roll)

Pickled Daikon is eaten as a snack on its own, in a salad, and is popular sushi (maki) roll filling. Oshinko roll is a fun vegetarian sushi option and very easy to make with just a few ingredients. All you’ll need is sushi rice, nori, and oshinko. You could even us it to make vegan Nigiri

Most sushi restaurants make their oshinko roll with pickled radish as the sole filling, however, my favorite version of this sushi roll includes even more veggies. Shredded carrots, avocado, and cucumber are all wonderful additions. If you like veggie sushi, check out our Vegan Sushi Recipe or this loaded Veggie Sushi Burrito with Yum Yum Sauce! Another great vegetarian sushi filling is Enoki Mushrooms, but if you like fish, you could try this with masago

Yield: about 5 servings

Oshinko Roll

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Learn how to make Oshinko Roll at home! Easy maki is a great vegetarian sushi roll option made with Japanese pickled daikon radish.

A close-up photo of oshino sushi rolls.

Ingredients

  • 1 batch Sushi Rice
  • 1 piece Oshinko (Japanese pickled radish)
  • 1 package nori (seaweed for sushi)

Instructions

  1. Cut the oshinko into lengthwise strips about ½-inch wide and just as long as one side of the nori. Yellow oshinko cut into lengthwise strips for sushi.
  2. Lay a piece of nori on a bamboo sushi mat or on a cutting board. For single ingredient sushi, I like to cover the nori with just enough rice to surround the filling. In this case about ⅔ of the way across. If using more fillings, cover the entire piece of nori except for a 1-inch edge at one end to seal. Place one piece of oshinko on the rice on the opposite side from the uncovered edge. Nori is partially covered with sushi rice and a piece of oshinko is on top.
  3. Wet the edge uncovered with rice. Tightly roll the sushi over the fillings to seal. A rolled sushi sits on a cutting board next to a knife before slicing.
  4. Use a sharp knife to cut the sushi crosswise into about 6 slices. Cutting an oshinko sushi roll into slices.
  5. Enjoy right away or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one day. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi.

Notes

1. You can find pickled Daikon radish (oshinko) packaged in plastic in most Asian markets.

2. I like to add other vegetables in this roll. Shredded carrots, avocado, and cucumber are my favorite additions.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 6 pieces
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160