Gari (pickled sushi ginger)
ガリ · Young ginger pickled pink in sweet rice vinegar
Sushi counters from Tokyo's Tsukiji outer market to neighbourhood conveyor-belt bars set a heap of gari by every plate, a palate-cleanser eaten between pieces of fish. The best is made in early summer, when young ginger with thin, pink-tipped skin appears in Japanese and Asian greengrocers; its blush turns the pickle naturally pale pink in the vinegar, with no colouring. It takes 20 minutes and keeps for months. The usual mistake is slicing too thick: gari should be almost see-through, so use a mandoline or vegetable peeler. Chef's tip: blanch the slices for just 30 seconds; any longer and the ginger loses its crunch.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 9 oz young gingerskin scraped off with a spoon
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup rice vinegar
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 3 ½ tbsp water
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Slice 9 oz young ginger along the grain as thinly as possible with a mandoline or peeler.
8 minStep 2: Toss with 1 tsp salt and leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze lightly.
10 minStep 3: Bring a pan of water to the boil, drop in the ginger for 30 seconds, then drain in a sieve and spread out until cool enough to handle. Squeeze out the water.
2 minStep 4: Heat ¾ cup rice vinegar, 2 ⅛ oz sugar and 3 ½ tbsp water in a small pan just until the sugar dissolves.
2 minStep 5: Pack the warm ginger into a clean jar and pour over the vinegar so it is covered. Cool, seal and refrigerate. It turns pink within a day and is best after 3 days; it keeps for 2–3 months in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 15 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gari (pickled sushi ginger) take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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