My love for gari comes from sushi. It’s where I first tried it and I loved it in between the separate pieces to cleanse my mouth and for the clean sharp taste it brought with it. For a long time though, I never thought about how easy it was to make it myself (see below).

When I started using fresh ginger for more of my asian cooking I wanted to try it with the pickled version and so I gave it a go. I wouldn’t buy ready made anymore because it tastes so good. Try for yourself.

Ingredients

young ginger (preferred, normal ginger is ok) finely slice, sprinkle with salt, leave for 30 mins, transfer to clean jar – pack tightly – then…

rice vinegar, sugar bring to a boil in the pan and dissolve sugar, then add to the jar, seal, refrigerate.

NOTE instead of rice vinegar it also works with apple vinegar. When using the normal ginger I have also boiled it for a short time in the pan with the rest of the ingredients which softens it a bit.

How to eat (pickled ginger)

with sushi in between bites to cleanse the palate

to build asian sauces in combination with honey/nectarines/mango

fish or light meats i find it a bit too acidic for red meat (maybe I just haven’t found the right recipe yet though!)

How to (eat) ginger 

asian cooking add at beginning for softer/ at the end for stronger flavour

tea boil the root with a bit of honey and lemon (and a little mint) for a great tea, especially to keep you healthy in winter

baking finely mince and mush down into a paste and it can be great in all sorts of sweet and savoury options