Sushi Gari

Pickled Ginger (Gari, がり)

Today we are going to touch on Gari, Pickled Ginger that comes together with sushi or sashimi in Japanese restaurant. You will be given a small heap of pickled ginger which is used to cleanse the palate between bites of sushi. Together with this, you will also be given a small glob of wasabi where you need to mix with soy sauce in the small dish. You just need to mix them until they taste “right” to you.

Gari (がり）　is a type of Japanese tsukemono and it normally uses young ginger. You can always get it at Asian market which are artificially colored in pink. If you are making your own, it typically has a pale yellow to slightly pink hue from the pickling process.

Gari is my “must have” condiment whenever I eat sushi or sahshimi. Of course the main reason is; it helps to cleanse the palate between bites of sushi. At the same time, stimulate the appetite, invigorate the taste buds, and aid digestion.. are benefits that caused me Love them. That is why, whenever I went to the local sushi bars, I usually consumed a huge amount of Gari than others do together with a minimum of 15 dishes sushi. It really makes me so famous there..

Young Fresh Ginger ( 新生姜 )

Ingredients:

250 g young ginger root (shin-shoga)
250 ml rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
125 ml water

Preparations:

Wash the young fresh ginger under running water, rub off skin. Cut them into thinly slices. Put the ginger into a bowl. Combine rice vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Add in water and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the ginger and allow them to cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days before eating. Pickled ginger keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks.