Pickled Pink Ginger (Japanese Gari Recipe)
on Jun 07, 2022
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If you love sushi, you’ll be familiar with the soft pink pickled ginger that accompanies your delicious platter of seafood and rice – but how is it made?
Light pink ginger is taken from the new shoots of ginger root in summer. These rhizomes (as they are known) are more delicate than the fibrous root and have a mild, pleasant taste.
With its refreshingly sweet and sour flavor, pink ginger complements the taste of sushi beautifully. Read on to find out how easy it is to create this useful Japanese pickled condiment at home!
What is Pink Ginger?
Known as “Gari” in Japanese, pickled ginger is thin ginger slices that are pickled in a sweet rice vinegar mixture and then served with sushi. The soft pink ginger prevents the taste buds from becoming desensitized during a meal. In other words, it cleanses your taste buds between bites so that each mouthful of sushi is as delicious as the last.
Find pink ginger online, buy it from Japanese and Asian grocery stores, or make your own with our handy recipe below!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- ginger shoots
- rice vinegar
- sugar
- salt
- kelp dashi powder
How to Make Pink Ginger
- Take the ginger roots and cut off the lower crimson section of the stems. Scrub the shoots clean but don’t peel them.
- In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced ginger slices and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Place your empty saucepan back on the stove on medium heat. Pour in the rest of the ingredients. Allow to boil and bubble until completely dissolved.
- Meanwhile, squeeze the ginger slices to remove any excess moisture or pat dry with a paper towel.
- Add the ginger slices to a small container or mason jar. Pour the rice vinegar mixture over the ginger while the liquid is hot. It should make the ginger turn pink.
- Refrigerate the pink ginger for at least 3 hours before serving with a platter of fresh sushi.
Tips & Tricks
- Thinly slice the ginger with a paring knife for the best results.
- Remember to keep the lower red pigment section of the shoot to give your ginger a gorgeous soft pink hue.
- Be sure to get rid of any excess water by taking a handful of ginger at a time and squeezing. You can also pat it dry with paper towels.
- Don’t wait for the sweetened vinegar to cool down – add it while it’s hot.
How To Store Pickled Ginger
Once the pickled ginger has cooled down completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
What Does Pink Ginger Taste Like?
Depending on the level of pickling and fermentation, pink ginger can taste bland (little to no fermentation) or acidic sour (high fermentation). Ideally, it should have a refreshingly sweet and sour flavor.
Why is Sushi Ginger Pink?
Presentation is important in any restaurant, and it’s no different for sushi chefs! While yellow ginger cleanses the palate just as well, sushi chefs believe pink ginger is more visually appealing.
Gari gets its stunning coral pink hue from the new shoots attached to young ginger rhizomes. The pigment is released when the ginger is cut and vinegar extracts anthocyanins from the shoot.
You can also make ginger pink by adding beet juice or beet extract during the pickling process, or by simply adding red food coloring.
Is Pink Ginger Healthy?
Like any fermented food, pickled ginger contains “good” bacteria or probiotics, which support intestinal balance and digestive health. It is also low in calories and high in antioxidants – natural compounds that can potentially prevent or delay harm to your cells. Lastly, pickled ginger contains vinegar which is associated with several surprising health benefits.
Pickled Pink Ginger (Gari) Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ginger shoots, (also called ginger rhizomes)
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp kelp dashi powder
Instructions
- Take the ginger roots and cut off the lower crimson section of the stems. Scrub the shoots clean but don’t peel them.
- Thinly slice the shoots using a mandolin or paring knife.
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger slices and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Place your empty saucepan back on the stove on medium heat. Pour in the rest of the ingredients. Allow to boil and bubble until completely dissolved.
- Meanwhile, squeeze the ginger slices to remove any excess moisture or pat dry with a paper towel.
- Add the ginger slices to a small container or mason jar. Pour the rice vinegar mixture over the ginger while the liquid is hot. It should make the ginger turn pink.
- Refrigerate the pink ginger for at least 3 hours before serving with a platter of fresh sushi.
Notes
- Keep a lookout for new ginger rhizomes in supermarkets between early summer and fall as they are harvested in June. They are soft, juicy, and white with crimson stems where the foliage shoots.
- Kelp dashi powder is available online and in Asian grocery stores.
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
