“AMAZU” (甘酢 )…literally means “sweet vinegar”.
Amazu is a traditional Japanese basic combined condiment made with vinegar and sugar or mirin in Japanese cooking.
It is typically made by boiling and dissolving sugar in vinegar and adding salt.
Often, it is used for pickling vegetables and “sweet and sour” sauce.
The vinegar and sugar are well-balanced and refreshing, stimulating your appetite and addictive.
A versatile seasoning that goes well with a variety of ingredients such as vegetables, tofu, meat, and fish, and can be used in a variety of dishes.
Pickled ginger known as “gari” or “sushi ginger” is the representative dish that used “Amazu” sauce.
ESSENTIAL AMAZU VINEGAR FOR MEAL PREP
ESSENTIAL AMAZU VINEGAR FOR MEAL PREP
Ingredients
- 2 cups vinegar (distilled vinegar, rice vinegar, white or red wine vinegar) *The vinegar on the image is made from red wine vinegar.
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 TSP salt
- 1 dried red chili pepper *optionally
- 1 dashi kelp (2" X 5") *optionally
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat vinegar, sugar, and salt to dissoluve the sugar. Turn the heat off, then, add a dried chili pepper or dashi kelp. Let it cool and transfer to a clean jar or a glass bottle. Store it in a firdge up tp 6 months.
Notes
AMAZU ZUKE: JAPANESE PICKLES
As I said, pickled food such as vegetables, fish, and meat in AMAZU sauce called “AMAZU-ZUKE”(甘酢漬け).
There are pickled ginger, pickled daikon radishes, pickled cucumber, pickled “RAKKYO” onion, and pickled turnips as popular AMAZU-ZUKE pickles.
Especially, daikon radish and carrot AMAZU-ZUKE pickles are often called “KOHAKU NAMASU” (紅白なます: literally means “red and white” pickles) which is the essential item for “OSECHI”-the New Year’s special meal box.
In this post, I’ll give you Japanese sweet and sour pickled ginger and/or red radish recipes. You can pickle both together if desired, and also, switch vegetables such as carrots, daikon radishes, cucumbers, and zucchini.
HOMEMADE SUSHI GINGER MADE WITH COMMON GINGER (NOT YOUNG GINGER)
Spicy, sweet, thinly sliced ginger known as “gari” -the pink pickled ginger we associate with sushi. If you are fed up with super-sweet sushi ginger full of artificial color and preservatives, you might need to learn how to make homemade sushi ginger made with all-natural ingredients. Besides, you don’t worry about how you can get “young ginger”! I’ll tell you absolutely delicious sushi ginger made from a common (general) ginger that you always meet at local grocery stores.
![Japanese Sweet and Sour Pickled Red Radish [AMAZU-ZUKE]](https://japanmcconnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Japanese-Sweet-and-Sour-Pickled-Red-Radish-AMAZU-ZUKE.jpg)
Japanese Sweet and Sour Pickled Red Radish [AMAZU-ZUKE]
Ingredients
- 20-30 red radishes *⅓-½ daikon radish
- ¼ TSP salt
For Pickles Juice *You can use ½ cup of essential Amazu Vinegar as a substitute
- ½ cup vinegar (white or red wine vinegar, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 TSP salt
Instructions
- Slice radishes thinly as you like.When using Daikon radish, slice or shred or Julian as you like.
- Sprinkle ¼ TSP of salt and combine them. Let them sit for 15 minutes to remove moisture. Squeeze the excess moisture from sliced radishes as much as you can.
- Meanwhile, make pickles juice. In a small saucepan, add vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat the mixture to dissolve the sugar. Or you can microwave the mixture to dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture cool.
- Add the sliced radishes to a cleaned jar, and pour the pickles juice over them. Cover and store in the fridge.They will be ready to eat the next day and will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
- Don't waste the green parts of radishes. It can be a great healthy side dish to read this post.
Notes
AMAZU-AN: THICK SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE
The sauce made with AMAZU added dashi, soy sauce, or often tomato ketchup, and potato starch water is called “AMAZU-AN” (甘酢あん) which is a very rich and thick sauce often used for deep-fried food.
Also, Amazu sauce is used for Chinese -Japanese food such as sweet and sour pork, meatballs, and egg omelet.
EBICHIRI
Ingredients
- 0.8-1 lb shrimp
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp white wine
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp potato/corn starch for coating shrimp
- ¼ cup minced leeks/onions/scallions
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp Doubanjiang *optionally
For The Ketchup Amazu Sauce
- ¼ cup tomato ketchup
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp sugar/honey
- 2 tbsp AMAZU vinegar
- 1 tbsp white wine/Japanese sake/Chinese cooking wine/vodka/gin
- 1 TSP toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ¼ TSP Chinese five spices
- 1 TSP potato/corn starch
Instructions
- (Prepare shrimp 1) Clean and devein shrimp. Read the post about how to prepare shrimp if desired.
- (Prepare shrimp 2) Towel dry shrimp and season them with white wine, salt & pepper, and egg white. Marinate for 10 minutes.
- (Make The Ketchup Amazu sauce) Combine all ingredients in the ketchup Amazu sauce list.
- Coat the shrimp with potato/corn starch. Shake off the excess starch.
- Oil and preheat a non-stick skillet. Cook the shrimp until they change color. Transfer the shrimp to a platter. Set it aside.
- Cook seasoning vegetables. Add minced garlic, ginger (chili peppers if desired), and oil. Cook them until fragrant. Turn off the heat.
- Add the ketchup amazu sauce to the skillet. Stir well until the sauce gets thicker over medium-high heat, about 5-8 minutes.
- Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet. Combine and cool them until the shrimp are fully cooked.
- Transfer the dish to a platter.Drizzle Layu chili oil if desired. Serve and enjoy!*What's Layu Chili oil
