Gari (pickled ginger)...

aka sushi ginger

What is gari?

Gari (pickled ginger) is part of the whole sushi experience. If you have never tried it before then try it! You can buy gari in jars and packets, or ofcourse you can make your own. For those who are addicted to gari, we have a little recipe for you!

Ginger grows in many areas of the globe such as Japan , China , Thailand , India , Brazil and many other places. There are many varieties of ginger, each having their unique characteristics. The root is the most commonly used part of the plant, which is also used for gari. Gari usually appears pinkish in colour and sliced very thin, although it may slightly vary in thickness and colour from sushi bar to sushi bar.

How should I eat gari?

The tradition of consuming gari with sushi is to cleanse the palette. It sharply aromatic taste refreshes you taste buds, banishing any tastes remaining in your mouth from a previous food. A single slice of gari should be consumed before eating a different type of sushi to the previous, for example between your ebi nigiri and your futo maki. This helps you to experience the pure flavor of the sushi you are eating. If you like gari as much as some of us here at sushi shrine, don't let tradition hold you back too much, treat yourself to extra helping between sushi.

Can I make my own gari?

The answer is yes, you can make your own gari and we are happy to show you how.

The method to making gari is very simple:

•  Take you fresh ginger root and cut it into palm sized blocks if it is very large. Next you must peel off the skin.

•  Next you must peel off the skin. The fresher the ginger the easier it will peel.

•  Place your peeled ginger root into a bowl of water and leave for 10 minutes.

•  Drain off the ginger and season lightly with salt.

•  Wash off the salt and place them into a pan of cold water.

•  Bring it to the boil and cook until you have a froth laying on the surface of the water. Remove the pan from the heat then drain.

•  Gently heat some rice vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. The use your own measures depending on how sweet you like your gari. Don't be afraid to taste.

•  Place the sweetened rice vinegar in a container with the boiled ginger root and seal the container

•  Keep in the fridge for several days.

If your ginger was very fresh it will be ready to eat in 2-3 days. If the ginger was not so fresh it is better kept in the fridge for several days allowing the vinegar to penetrate the ginger. When ready, your ginger should be pinkish in colour.

When you are happy that it is ready, take your ginger and slice thinly as possible with a sharp knife. There you have your own homemade gari, enjoy!

Oh and save me some!