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Whether you eat sushi in a traditionalsushi-ya in Japan, a sophisticated upscale restaurant in California, or getpre-packaged stuff from the grocery store, one thing is common – you are goingto find some sort of pink or yellow ginger next to your order. Ever wondered,why?
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I know you too often wonder ‘Why is ginger served with sushi.’ So, I decided to do some digging for the answer. According to sushi tradition, pickled ginger (known as ‘gari’ in Japanese) is used as a palate cleanser during a meal, typically in between sushi courses comprising of different fish to enable you to distinguish the taste.
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WhatIs The Reason Behind Serving Ginger With Sushi
Ginger has a significant role to play andhas its roots in the age-old tradition of sushi eating. At any authentic sushibar, the chef will serve you two pieces of nigiri (containing the same fish) ata time. For this, he may choose delicate raw flesh of salmon, tuna, sea bass,eel, trout, mackerel, crab, shrimp, etc.
When you consume sushi, it leaves alingering taste in your mouth, which is overpowering at times. If you followwith another sushi variety that contains another fish with subtle flavors, youwill hardly be able to tell the difference. This is where gari or pickledginger comes into play!
As you take a bite of the thin slices of pink ginger, it will cleanse your mouth by removing the previous taste so that your palate is ready to enjoy the distinct flavors of the next variety of fish. Read on to find out more on how to prepare this traditional condiment and what’s the right way to eat pickled ginger or you can click here to see my recommended Ginger brand to get it on Amazon.
How does ginger help in cleansing thepalate?
Pickled ginger has an acidic spiciness,which works like a perfect antidote to the fishy taste of seafood. Taking abite of gari in between different courses of sushi neutralize the taste buds,so that you can enjoy the distinct taste of different varieties of fish in onesitting.
WhyDoes The Ginger (Gari) Look Pink Or Pale Yellow?
Gari is the pink or pale yellow stuff thatyou can see sitting unassumingly on your sushi plate to the side. It belongs tothe tsukemono family, which in Japanese means ‘pickled things’. What type ofthings you may ask?
Well, gari is always made from carefullyselected young ginger roots that have a sweet flavor. Thin slices of the gingerare then marinated with vinegar and sugar in the right proportions. Thepickling process changes the hue and the ginger slices develop a slight pink oryellow tint.
It should be remembered that only the youngand tender ginger roots will turn into pink color naturally. Several brands ofcommercially available pickled ginger or gari are artificially colored pink orthe color is intensified using beet juice or E124 food additive. This isbecause the ginger used was too mature to develop a pink hue upon pickling.
HowTo Make Pickled Ginger Or Gari At Home (Recipe)
While you can find pickled ginger in almostany Asian grocery store, the joy of making fresh homemade stuff is unique initself. So, here’s a quick recipe to make your own delicious sushi ginger thatalso goes well with several other delicacies as well.
Please note that you must always use youngginger harvested and sold in the early summer season. I cannot emphasize thisenough because young ginger has a mild flavor and fine meaty texture that feelssoft and tender, unlike matured ginger that is used for cooking.
When buying ginger to make Gari, look forthe ones that have pink tips because this pink pigment is responsible for thatattractive pink hue of Gari. You can find young ginger in Asian grocery storesnear you.
Ingredients:
• 2 lbs. tender young ginger
• 3 cups rice vinegar
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
Instructions:
Wash the young ginger roots and remove anybrown spots using a spoon. The skin is very thin and tender so you can easilypeel it with your fingers or use a spoon.
Make fine slices of the ginger using a sharp Japanese knife and sprinkle some salt over them. Let the salted ginger slices sit in the bowl for about one hour.
Dry the ginger slices using paper towelsand transfer them to a sterilized and heat-resistant jar or container.
Now, mix the rice vinegar and sugar in apan and boil the content until the strong vinegar smell evaporates completely.
Pour this hot solution of vinegar and sugarto cover the ginger slices completely. If you prefer the ginger slices to be alittle spicy, take them out after a minute or else let the mixture work for 2-3minutes.
Take a sieve and drain the ginger slices.Let them cool by placing them over a paper towel. At this stage, you can seethe ginger change color to a slight pinkish tone. (please note that if you haveused old ginger for the recipe, it might not turn pink naturally).
Drain the slices in a sieve and let themcool by placing them on a paper towel in a single layer. Pickled ginger changesits color to light pink. If you are using old ginger, it might not turn pinknaturally.
Use clean hands to squeeze out extra liquidfrom the ginger slices and put them back into the jar. Close the lid tightlyand store in the refrigerator.
WhatIs The Correct Way To Eat Pickled Ginger Or Gari
As mentioned above, ginger is used as apalate cleanser between different types of sushi and it should be strictly usedin that way if you want to enjoy sushi in a traditional format.
I have often seen self-proclaimed sushiconnoisseurs pile their sushi with ginger slices even before taking a bite andthis is a no-no. This is against sushi eating etiquettes. If you do this in asushi bar or restaurant, you will offend fellow diners and the sushi chef.
Putting ginger slices over sushi is not only a misuse of painstakingly created gari but this also suggests that you do not appreciate the chef’s skills. Each piece of sushi served by your chef is crafted to maintain a perfect balance of texture and flavor. Don’t ruin the taste by topping it with gari or anything else.
The correct method of eating gari is totake a bite of the tender slices between the different sushi courses. You canuse chopsticks to hold the gari or eat it using your hands. Your taste buds andsushi chef will thank you for following the tradition correctly.
RelatedQuestions
How long can you store the pickled gingeror gari?
The store-bought pickled ginger should berefrigerated and consumed within three months after opening the jar. In anairtight container, pickled ginger can be crystallized and stored for up to oneyear or even more.
Why does my pickled ginger look pale yellowor brown?
The salt and vinegar added to ginger duringthe pickling process turn it pink naturally, however, the color does not lastfor long when stored. The light pink color eventually fades in less than threemonths and turns pale yellow and brown as ginger is exposed to heat and UVlight.
How can I prevent pickled ginger fromturning brown?
For white/ pale yellow ginger, you need toadd sodium metabisulphite (an allergen) to prevent them from turning brown. Ifyou wish to preserve the natural pinkish hue of pickled ginger, keep it awayfrom UV light and heat, refrigerated at 2 degree Celsius. In this condition,the color will remain for up to one year.
What does pickled ginger served with sush*taste like?
The ginger served with sushi is prepared bypickling thin slices of young ginger with vinegar, salt, and sugar. As thepickled ginger has high vinegar content, this gives a sour taste to it. Saltand sugar balance the sourness to add a dash of sweetness. So, you will find itsweet and sour at the same time.
What is the difference between white andpink ginger?
At the grocery stores, you will often findwhite and pink pickled ginger. The difference in color is mainly due to the useof dye. When ginger slices are pickled, they turn slightly pink if the gingeris young, otherwise, it may look white or pale yellow. If the gari looksintensely pink, this is due to the addition of artificial food coloring.
