Building Blocks: The Basic Ingredients Behind Japan’s Flavors

Shōga Sensation: Japanese Dishes Using Ginger

Food and Drink Lifestyle Culture Aug 2, 2025

Whether contributing to flavorful dishes like ginger pork or acting as a palate cleanser between pieces of sushi, ginger (shōga in Japanese) plays a key role in Japan’s cuisine.

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Buta no Shōgayaki

This dish is a standard item at school cafeterias and restaurants serving teishoku set meals. It is thickly sliced pork, simply marinated in a soy-sauce based sauce mixed with plenty of grated ginger, and then grilled.

Shōga no Tsukudani

Serve this dish of thinly sliced shōga simmered in a sweet soy sauce-based sauce on hot rice and it becomes a meal in itself.

Shin-shōga no Amazuzuke

Shin-shōga, or young ginger, available in early summer, is juicy and only mildly spicy. Thinly sliced and blanched, and then pickled in sweet vinegar, it makes a great snack with alcohol or as a preserve. The anthocyanins in the shin-shōga react with the vinegar, turning it a light shade of pink, so it looks and tastes refreshing.

Gari

When served in sushi restaurants, shin-shōga no amazuzuke (pickled young ginger) is called gari. The naming comes from the Japanese onomatopoeia garigari, the crunchy noise made when biting into the ginger. It is said to be a palate cleanser and thought to help kill bacteria that may be found in raw fish.

Oroshi-shōga

This is simply grated ginger and can be used in many ways, such as a condiment for hiyayakko chilled tōfu, udon noodles, and sushi made with blue-backed fish. It can also be a seasoning or topping for simmered and fried food.

Hari-shōga

Shōga, sliced as finely as hari (needles), is used as a topping for various simmered dishes, including fish, and creates a more elegant appearance than oroshi-shōga.

Hajikami

Alternatively known as ha-shōga (leaf ginger) or fude-shōga (“brush” ginger), this slim type of shōga is pickled in sweet vinegar. It is often served with grilled fish as a colorful garnish and palate cleanser. The deep pink part is the stem, while the firm, white part is edible. Hajikami is an old Japanese name for shōga.