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Pickled Ginger 新生姜の甘酢漬け (ガリ)

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Often served with sushi or sashimi, Pickled Ginger (known as Gari in Japanese) is perfect for cleansing the palate and enhancing the flavors of your meal. This recipe teaches you how to make sushi ginger at home.

Pickled Ginger (Sushi Ginger/Gari) | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

If you enjoy my sushi recipes like Hand Roll sushi, California Roll, Dragon Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll, there’s one crucial complementary dish you need to enjoy with your amazing sushi.  And that’s Pickled Ginger, or Sushi Ginger.  In Japan we call it Gari (ガリ) or Shin-shoga no Amazu-zuke (新生姜の甘酢漬け).

Pickled Ginger (Sushi Ginger/Gari) | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

How to Make Pickled Ginger

The reason why it took me a while to share this recipe is that I had a hard time finding the young ginger with pink tip (shown in the picture below).  Most of young gingers in Asian grocery stores didn’t have the pinkish tip (cut off).  And this pink pigment makes the pickled ginger naturally pink.  So it’s very important!

Young Ginger | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

Why use Young Ginger for Pickled Ginger?

Young ginger has a mild ginger flavor and a fine fleshy texture that is tender, unlike matured ginger usually used for cooking.  The young ginger’s skin is very thin and easy to peel with fingers or a spoon.

To make sushi ginger, only young ginger is used.  It’s thinly sliced and then marinated in sugar and rice vinegar mixture.  The sliced ginger will naturally become light pink color from the pink parts of the young ginger.

Many commercially produced and sold pickled ginger are artificially dyed pink, but you should be able to find some brands that avoid the artificial coloring.

Young ginger are harvested and sold in early summer.  During my visit to Japan this summer, there were many fresh young gingers in the supermarket and I knew I had to make this recipe!

Pickled Ginger (Sushi Ginger/Gari) | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

Why We Serve Sushi with Pickled Ginger

Gari or Sushi Ginger is often served and eaten while you eat sushi and it’s an essential part of sushi meal.

The ginger’s spiciness and sweet vinegar flavor cleanse the palate between eating different pieces of sushi, allowing you to enjoy different kinds of fish and rolls.

At a sushi restaurant, you can ask more if you want extra. 🙂

Pickled Ginger (Sushi Ginger/Gari) | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

When you find young ginger in the grocery store, you know what to do now!  Hope you enjoy this homemade pickled ginger recipe!

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Pickled Ginger
Pickled Ginger (Sushi Ginger/Gari) | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
Print
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
4 hr 20 mins
 
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • 3.5-5 oz young ginger (3.5-5 oz = 100-150 g)
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt (½ tsp = 1/4 tsp. table salt)
Sweet Vinegar (Amazu)
  • 100 ml rice vinegar (100 ml = right between 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup)
  • 4 Tbsp granulated sugar (4 Tbsp = 40-50 g)
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt (½ tsp = 1/4 tsp. table salt)
Instructions

  1. Gather all the ingredients.

    Pickled Ginger Ingredients
  2. Using a spoon, scrape off brown spots. Then thinly slice with a peeler.
    Pickled Ginger 1
  3. Sprinkle ½ tsp. Kosher salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Then add the ginger into a boiling water and cook for 1-3 minutes. If you want to keep it spicy, take it out around 1 minute. Otherwise, 2-3 minutes is good.
    Pickled Ginger 2
  4. Pour the water into a sieve and let the ginger slices drain completely by spreading them out in a single layer. With your clean hands, squeeze the water out and put them in a sterilized jar or Mason jar.
    Pickled Ginger 3
  5. In a small pot, add 3.4 oz (100 ml) rice vinegar, 4 Tbsp. sugar, and ½ tsp. Kosher salt, and bring it to a boil till strong vinegar smell has evaporated. When it’s slightly cool, pour the liquid into the jar with sliced ginger.
    Pickled Ginger 4
  6. Several hours later (minimum 3-4 hours), the ginger will turn slightly pink. The following day it will be even more pink. The pickled ginger can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.
    Pickled Ginger 5
Recipe Notes

Equipment you will need:

  • A sterilized jar with a lid

 

Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.

 

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    • Hi Joannie! Aww thank you for waiting this recipe. I had hard time finding young ginger with pink tip, and finally found them when I was back in Japan this summer. I just had to make a blog post with this recipe! Thank you!!

      14
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  3. Kimmi

    Thanks for this recipe! I normally don’t like regular ginger as much, but I love pickled ginger. I really appreciated your explanation of the pink color—what a great piece of knowedge to impress people with. 🙂

    3
    Reply to Kimmi'> Reply

  9. Ruth M

    Thanks so much for this! I plan to try it soon since shoga is not available in my neighborhood.

    When I get shoga from the sushiya that is white does that mean it is made from old ginger?

    Can you tell us where to buy amazu or a brand to look for? Or how to make it?

    And while I am asking questions–can you tell me if there is a difference between Mirin and Marukan or if they are just different brands? I’ve tended to use one or the other interchangably but wonder if I should know more about them in deciding which to use.

    9
    Reply to Ruth M'> Reply

    • Hi Ruth! When you see dark brown ginger skin, they are not longer young. Young gingers are always pale yellow, really light color (you can describe it as “white” too). They are young ones.

      I make amazu myself and the recipe is above, in the recipe box 🙂 The ingredients are listed under “Amazu”.

      Mirin is a condiment (like soy sauce, ketchup). You can read more about Mirin here:

      https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/mirin/

      Kikkoman, Marukan or Mizkan are the biggest Japanese brands that sell condiments. They are about the same, so I usually buy when one of them are on sale. In Japan there are so many brands and types within the same brand to choose from, but if you live outside of Japan, you just get one kind. 😀

      I hope this helps! 🙂

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      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  13. Hisaye

    Thanks for posting this recipe, Nami! I’ve always loved nibbling on pickled ginger, not only with sushi but whenever I”m looking for something with a clean, tart taste. I also used to eat pickled ginger when I was pregnant and suffering from morning sickness. It seemed to help the nausea and lack of appetite. I’ll still have a little ginger when my stomach is upset. Not too much, just a pinch to settle the rumbling and discomfort. 🙂

    13
    Reply to Hisaye'> Reply

  18. I love this Nami and we can keep it up to 1 year! WOW! I’ve seen this young ginger in the market and will check later if they still have some. I’d want to make this! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!

    I have a question, is the rice vinegar of the Japanese the same as the Chinese? Also, what is the difference between rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar? Some recipes look for rice wine vinegar but I have never been able to find them in JUSCO or APITA here in HK. It’s always just rice vinegar.

    26
    Reply to Lorely @ Butter Love Affair'> Reply

    • Hi Lorely! I hope you enjoy making this recipe at home! 🙂

      I have never picked up a Chinese rice vinegar so I haven’t done any taste test before. But Japanese rice vinegar is from Japanese short grain rice, so I assume the taste is slightly different? Not sure if it’s obvious to us….

      Rice wine vinegar and rice vinegar is the same thing. In order to make vinegar you first have to ferment the sugar into alcohol (rice wine) and then ferment the alcohol into the vinegar. 🙂

      Hope that helps!

      27
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  23. Lovely recipe! I love pickled ginger. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    32
    Reply to [email protected]'> Reply

  24. I make my own gari regularly. It’s not as sweet as the bought one and doesn’t have any additives (such as colouring for ex.). As you say, it should be done with young ginger, but I’ve already prepared it with old specimens too… not as good, but if salted for a longer time, the thin slices soften and it’s not bad 😉 (Young ginger is not always easy to find here…).
    As always, perfectly photographed and explained recipe!

    33
    Reply to Sissi'> Reply

  27. Cynthia H

    Hi Nami! I’m glad to see the recipe for gari. (I never knew it was pink because of the tops of the ginger, nor that it was the young ginger not the ginger I’m used to seeing in the store!) Is there a recipe for the julienned ginger that’s used in soba and beef bowl? The bright red stuff. Or is that a “buy it, it’s a lot easier” thing? ^_^

    37
    Reply to Cynthia H'> Reply

    • Hi Cynthia! Yes, if it’s light pink, then it’s natural color (especially homemade). I’m not sure if store bought try to make it light pink though. 😀 I’ll add the recipe to my list. You have to have Umezu (梅酢) – plum vinegar to make it, which could be hard to find oversea…

      38
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  30. Julie

    Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
    My husband and I miss Japan food. We lived in Japan for near 20 years.
    My pickled ginger that I made didn’t turn pink and it is very spicey. Too spicey for me.

    45
    Reply to Julie'> Reply

    • Hi Julie! First question is… did you use young ginger? They are not as spicy as regular ginger and it tastes more mild. I think it is a bit too spicy to make this recipe with regular ginger. The young ginger has pink area (shown above). Did you include it? Also, if you’re not a fan of spicy taste, you can increase the boiling time (Step 2). Hope this helps!

      47
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  31. Alejandro

    Yummy! Can’t wait to try this =D Miss that delicious pickley-Ginger bite! Yes….I just ate it straight *One piece for sushi, one piece for me* ;P hehe
    Nami, would this work out ok without adding the sugar? So pickling in just the vinegar and salt?
    Thank you 🙂

    46
    Reply to Alejandro'> Reply

    • Hi Alejandro! If you like the sushi ginger (gari), I recommend adding the sugar. There is a balance between vinegar and sugar, and if you don’t include sugar, I think it’s way too spicy and sour. I personally don’t think I’d enjoy it. 🙂

      48
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

    • Hi Yuliana! I recommend rice vinegar as it’s mild and that’s the vinegar we use in Japanese cooking. If you can’t get it somehow, maybe apple cider vinegar is okay, but I hope that’s not overwhelming the ginger taste. 🙂

      50
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

    • Hi Delena! Fresh ginger is less spicy and it’s more mild, so when you make this pickled ginger, it’s not as strong as fresh ginger. I’m a bit afraid that regular ginger is too spicy for you. Fresh ginger is also very seasonal, so even here where we have Japanese and Asian grocery stores, we can’t always find it. 🙁 If you spot “pinkish” ginger, with soft skin, make sure to grab some for this recipe! 🙂

      52
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  36. Chieko

    A good substitute is Peruvian ginger. It is small so not tough like mature ginger. However it doesn’t have the pink buds. I find it at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and the organic section of my grocery store. It will do in a pinch. For pink coloring that’s natural, a piece of skin from a red plum will add color. Think along of the lines of beni shoga pickled in plum brine (ume-su) but for color only. I’ve made umeboshi many, many times. I also make my own ume-su from regular plums then puree the solids and make a plum paste. Just brine them and let them ferment on the counter. Sometimes I add a bit of citric acid to aid in the fermentation process and to add tartness. My mother was a whiz in the kitchen and I learned from her to improvise. She grew up during WWII in Japan and they had to make do with what was available. Oftentimes, there wasn’t much.

    57
    Reply to Chieko'> Reply

    • Hi Chieko! Thank you so much for such a helpful input! I’ve seen those Peruvian ginger, and good to know they are good substitute! And the pink coloring – thanks for sharing it too! Now I think about it, maybe many variations of food were invented/introduced during the time when there wasn’t much. 🙂

      59
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

      • Chieko

        Many Japanese settled in South America around WWII so it makes sense ginger is grown there. I feel to be successful in the kitchen, any kitchen, is to be able to make do with what’s available! Love your website. Thanks so much! I make ika no shiokara. Would you be interested in doing something like that? I have HD quality photos. I think your following would be interested, especially if it’s paired with rice, saki, beer. I’m also making a different shiokara from whitebait. If presented properly, it may be attractive to non-Asians!. My cousin in Japan always laughs about the stuff I make because she doesn’t think Americans would like them. Lol!

        60
        Reply to Chieko'> Reply

        • Wow you’re such a great cook! I’ve never tried making Ika no Shiokara. I’m inspired by you! Haha yeah, your cousin is funny but she is right. I’m hesitant to share Monjayaki too. I think everyone will think it’s vomit… LOL. I was hesitant to share Hijiki too but I shared it. 😀 Thank you for your comment!

          61
          Reply to Nami'> Reply

  38. Leslie Anne

    Thank you for giving your readers this recipe for gari, Nami! I’m so happy to have it and can’t wait to try it. I live also in the SF Bay Area, in Mountain View, and we have many Asian Markets here, so finding the young pink tipped ginger is easy when it’s in season. Not only do I love gari with sushi, but I have a funny memory. When I was pregnant with my son, during that first trimester, the only food craving I had was for gari! I could eat an entire jar in two days. It was great for nausea and just the taste was sooo delicious to me then.

    64
    Reply to Leslie Anne'> Reply

    • Hi Leslie! I had bad morning sickness that I couldn’t hold food in my stomach, and I used to eat ginger candy (best one was from Thailand), so I can sort of relate your craving for gari! Haha entire jar in 2 days! Your son will enjoy gari in the future. 🙂 . Hope you like the homemade gari!

      65
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  39. Michael Laird

    I love pickled ginger and wouldn’t eat sushi without it ! It really compliments the sushi. I just started to make my own sushi and now I’m looking forward to making other dishes. Thank you so much.

    66
    Reply to Michael Laird'> Reply

  40. Jade

    Hi, I tried this recipe but I wasn’t sure how long to boil the vinegar. The smell seemed strong even though the liquid reduced by half. How long do you recommend cooking the vinegar, and is it ok if there’s still a slightly strong vinegar smell. Thank you!

    68
    Reply to Jade'> Reply

    • Hi Jade! Did you use rice vinegar? Because rice vinegar is more mild than other types of vinegar. I highly recommend using it. The vingar smells strong when you pour, but after you cook for 30-60 seconds, the really strong smell goes away. It’ll be still vinegar smell though.
      If you’re not used to vinegar dishes, you might feel it’s strong vinegar smell, but compared to the smell when you pour the vinegar, it should be more mild. You just need to dissolve the sugar, and letting the strong vinegar smell evaporated. Some people don’t even cook the vinegar part… but I think it helps to remove that strong smell and dissolve sugar. 🙂

      69
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

    • Hi Mariam! Matured ginger has very strong ginger taste (as you can imagine), so… the result will be quite different. Some JOC readers made with regular ginger, but I had never tasted it so I’m not sure how strong it was… Maybe boil a little longer than my recipe says, so you can remove the strong flavor before pickling? 🙂

      71
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  42. Susan

    I love pickled ginger. My husband and I are the only ones that like to eat it when Japanese restaurants serve it with sushi.

    Wanted to tell you that I went to Thailand in April and the place that I loved the most was the Khlong Lat Mayon Floating Market. My daughter checked the different floating markets and this seemed to be the less touristy one. And the best Thai food we had was on the street outside our hotel. (5 dishes for $17!!) Enjoy Thailand!!

    72
    Reply to Susan'> Reply

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