Pickled Ginger

411.  If you have eaten Sushi you know how important and amazing the pickled ginger is to your experience.  Recently, I was wanting to make sushi bowls at home, which are basically deconstructed sushi in a bowl over rice.  My search for jarred pickled ginger was fruitless.  It was either sold-out or not available.  So my thought process was to make my own.  I mean, how hard could this be?

I purchased fresh ginger root and found several simple recipes that were very similar.  

Pickled Ginger

fresh ginger root

optional: hot red pepper scored with long cuts, do not remove stem or seeds

1/2 cup rice vinegar

star anise

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup water

Peel and slice the ginger root very thin with a mandolin.  Place red pepper (I used red pepper flakes), and ginger in a heat proof glass jar and drop the star anise on top of the ginger.  In a small saucepan place vinegar, water and sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Place a metal spoon in the jar and pour the hot liquid over the ingredients filling the jar. Place the lid on and refrigerate for 24 hours.  Will keep for 3 weeks.

Peeling Ginger 

So my process started with the ginger and this is the easiest way to remove the skin.  A peeler can cut away the yummy ginger but the spoon only scrapes over and away from the ginger flesh.

Making Pickled Ginger 

Now, this is very easy and so practical and the flavor was fresh and complimented our sushi bowls perfectly.

You may have been eating sushi for some time? Well, what you might not know about sushi etiquette could just surprise you. Like many things Japanese, it is all in the details. A Japanese sushi chef gave these tips.  We all have been doing several things wrong for years! So here is a quick cheatsheet on the Dos and Don’ts of proper sushi etiquette.

Dos
- Actually, it is traditional to eat sushi with the hands, not with chopsticks (with the exception of sashimi and some rolls). But it’s OK if you prefer to use chopsticks. Either are fine.
- Turn the sushi roll over and dip the fish (not the rice) into the soy sauce.
- Put the whole portion into your mouth, fish side down toward the tongue.
- Use the fatter back end of the chopsticks when taking food from a shared plate.
- When not using your chopsticks, they should be rested across your plate or on the chopstick rest, parallel to the sushi bar.
- Signal you are finished by resting your chopsticks across your sushi saucer.

Don’ts
- Never rub your chopsticks together after snapping them apart! Apparently this is the height of rudeness.
- Never mix wasabi in with the soy sauce. Sushi should be prepared with the proper amount of wasabi directly on this fish. If, however, you would like more, simply apply it directly to the fish.
- Never rest your chopsticks with just the tips on your plate. And never, ever leave your chopsticks sitting in a bowl with the ends jutting out.
- Do not put the ginger on your sushi and eat it together. Ginger is meant to be consumed between bites to cleanse the palate.
- If eating in a sushi bar, never hand money to the chef. It is considered to be the height of rude.

So never unknowingly offend your sushi chef or fellow diners again. Become a sushi sensai with these sushi etiquette tips.