Barakamon, by Satsuki Yoshino, is one of my favorite manga. It is probably second only to One Piece for me. I first discovered this series when the anime was simulcast on Crunchyroll back in 2014. After falling in love with the anime I started reading the manga.
The characters are ones that I can identify with on a number of levels. Handa Seishu, the main character of the story, is an emerging calligrapher in the art world. During an exhibition where one of his pieces was criticized by a renowned art director, he loses his temper and punches the director in the face. Handa's father, who is an acclaimed calligrapher himself, sends Handa to an island that he (the father) had lived on in his early 20s. He says this is to give him time to calm down, explore his craft, and figure out his own unique style.
The island is your typical small town environment. It is beautiful, but Handa does not enjoy it at first, only seeing it from his standpoint as a city boy who enjoys being able to get anything he wants at his first whim, whether that is going to the store for ink, calling a friend, or living anonymously with people not caring what you are doing. The townspeople who live in the village he takes residence in are not those sort. They love to get in his business and involve him in all of the goings-on in their lives.
The other main character of the series is Naru, a precocious seven year old who is one of the first people Handa meets on the island. She comes over every day (even though he asks her not to) and gradually gets him to open up and have fun. Over the course of the series he not only gets to know the people in the town, but he starts to understand who he is and what kind of calligraphy he wants to make that will set him apart from his peers.
There is an episode about midway through the anime, and in the second volume of the manga, that is particularly funny. Naru's grandfather, who is a local farmer on the island, and her caretaker, comes over bringing Handa a bag of "Konomon" (aka Pickled Daikon Radish). Handa doesn't think that he will be able to eat the whole bag, but he quickly devours the whole bag after discovering how delicious it is, and begins obsessively thinking about it.
I decided to try my hand at making the dish because I love cucumber pickles, and figured I would probably like this dish as well.
Pretty much all of the recipes for Pickled Daikon Radish are the same, but I used one found on seriouseats.com. The recipe was really easy and made two pint jars worth. I have seen Daikon Radish at generic grocery stores, health food stores, and Asian markets. I got mine at the Asian market. I definitely recommend trying out this recipe for yourself.
I had this dish by itself as a snack, but I think that it would taste really good on a sandwhich. A Bahn Mi would be an obvious choice as that dish already calls for Daikon Radish. I intend on trying it out soon on a Tofu Bahn Mi!
Definitely try this recipe out, and check out Barakamon! It is a heart warming and funny show, and I think it would appeal to people even if they aren't big anime fans. You can watch the show online at Crunchyroll, and you can also purchase the books online or at your local bookstore.