Zuiki Sweet Vinegar Pickle

Name: Zuiki Sweet Vinegar Pickle
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 8 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: fresh zuiki stalks 250 g; water for soaking 1000 ml; water for boiling 1500 ml; vinegar 100 ml; sugar 100 g; salt 0.5 tbsp; ginger 15 g

Quick answer

Active time: 53 min
Waiting: See the steps
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Blanched taro stalks (zuiki) turn bright and keep a light crunch at the center when they are slipped straight into sweet vinegar.

In Niigata this is a summer side dish, made from the leaf stalks of yatsugashira taro harvested from June to September. Both the outer skin and the stringy fibers come off first, and the stalks are weighted under water while soaking so none float. The temperatures run the opposite way from a hot-brine pickle: the brine is cooled ahead of time, while the zuiki is added hot from the pot, which sets the color and texture. Overcooking breaks the fibers down, so they come out as soon as they bend without snapping, and a little grated ginger is spooned on top when served cold.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

5 steps

1

Combine 100ml vinegar, 100g sugar, and 0.5 tablespoon salt in a small saucepan.

Stir over medium heat for 3 minutes; when no sugar or salt crystals remain, transfer to a wide heatproof container and cool for 25 minutes.
2

Peel the outer skin and tough fibers from 250g fresh zuiki stalks.

Submerge in 1000ml soaking water for 30 minutes, weighting them with a small plate if they float.
3

Bring 1500ml boiling water to a full boil over high heat.

Add the soaked zuiki and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, draining when the color brightens and the stalks bend without snapping but retain a light crispness at the center.
4

Cut the hot zuiki into 3cm lengths and immediately submerge all pieces in the cooled brine.

Cool for another 20 minutes at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5

Finely grate 15g ginger.

Divide the chilled zuiki among plates, top with the ginger, spoon 1 tablespoon brine over each portion, and serve cold.