Yamitsuki Cabbage is the popular Izakaya snack and easy appetizer at Yakiniku restaurants in Japan.
“Yamitsuki” literally means “be addictive to something” so Yamitsuki Cabbage makes you addicted to eating with its crunchy texture, aromatic toasted sesame oil, slightly salty, and healthy!
Make a delicious, healthy fresh vegetable snack ready in just three steps!
The perfect option when you need healthy snacks or late-night cravings.
Why is it so addictive?
As I said, because of high-quality toasted sesame oil and a little bit of mineral salt.
- The Best Cabbage To Make Yamitsuki Cabbage
- How To Cut Cabbage
- Use A Good Salt
- Invest Money For Toasted Sesame Oil
The Best Cabbage To Make Yamitsuki Cabbage
As you know, there are several types of cabbage, so you need to choose the right cabbage to eat fresh.
Ideally, the best cabbage to make “Yamitsuki cabbage” is “Japanese cabbage” often called Jaroma cabbage that you can see in oriental grocery stores which is a flat round shape.
The leaves are sweet and tender, the best cabbage to eat fresh, but also, sweetheart cabbage (called pointed cabbage) is also recommended.
Here is the list that you can get easily to make Yamitsuki cabbage.
- Japanese cabbage (Jaroma cabbage)
- Sweetheart cabbage
- Green Cabbage (Cannonball cabbage)
- *Napa cabbage (Chinese Cabbage, choy sum)
How To Cut Cabbage
There is not much to say about cutting cabbage, basically cut bite-size in your style.
Just avoid cutting too small since the cabbage will be watery gradually.
Tearing leaves with fingers is a good way to prevent the dish from getting watery.
- Cut the cabbage down the middle, splitting it into two equal halves.
- Place each half flat side down and cut down the middle.
- Cut off the core.
- Place each quarter flat side down.
- Cut the slices into squares.
When using Napa cabbage, shred napa cabbage instead of cutting pieces since it slightly has habits.
Use A Good Salt
Salt has a variety of colors and textures to enhance the flavor of your dishes and make them more savory.
Especially, this dish is used supreme simple ingredients, yes, raw cabbage, choose one of the best salt with healthy and tasty.
Some salts such as pink Himalayan salt and other different types of natural sea salt are considered tastier and healthier (means contain minerals ) compared with regular table salt.
Guérande’s salt, which is made by drawing seawater into the salt pans using tides and slowly crystallizing it only by the natural power, is harvested by humans.
Small, mineral-rich salt. The minerals in the salt add the flavor richer and deeper.
Maldon’s sea salt features pyramidal crystals made in the Essex region, eastern England.
It’s crispy and light.
It gets you once you bite the crystals and impacts the taste with a natural mineral taste, but the aftertaste is gentle and elegant. It is recommended to sprinkle on the salad finish so that you can enjoy the saltiness and crispy texture.
Okinawa sea salt is known for its high quality and natural handmade produce (some of the products.)
Because the manufacturing process with cast iron is rich in iron.
The natural hand-harvested salt from a beautiful island in Okinawa gives any dish a rich flavor.
Compared to ordinary salt, the salt concentration is higher, only a pinch of salt can impact the dish.
Yet, it’s the mild aftertaste.
It’s one of the best sea salt worth trying and you can’t get back a regular salt.
Invest Money For Toasted Sesame Oil
As well as the mineral salt, let’s upgrade your dusty and sticky toast sesame oil in your kitchen or never opened.
Yamituski cabbage is almost determined whether tasty or not depends on the toasted sesame oil.
Personally, I prefer Korean or Japanese toasted sesame oil to buy for Yamitsuki Cabbage.
Is Sesame Oil Healthy?
Toasted sesame oil is known for its aroma that makes you hungry all the time you smell it, besides, it is known as one of the healthy oil.
Sesame oil is rich in unsaturated butyric acid, such as the essential fatty acid linoleic acid, and also contains sesamin and vitamin E, which are high in antioxidants.
Korean; Ottogi Premium Roasted Sesame Oil
This is the best sesame oil so far in my life!
I couldn’t forget my impression when I tasted this first, with its rich elegant aroma and flavor.
100% pure sesame oil, you will notice the gorgeous dark roasted color more than any sesame oil first when you pour it into the plate.
This is the most popular sesame oil produced by Kadoya Sesame Mill in Japan, a cooking oil company founded in 1858.
It has a rich sesame flavor yet a mild clear aftertaste. You can use it for any dish as cooking oil or dressing oil.
Carefully selected sesame is roasted without changing the original process for 160 years. Recommended as sesame oil for everyday use.
Twist Your Yamitsuki Cabbage
Yamitsuki cabbage is the supreme simple taste (but yummy) with sweet earthy cabbage, mild savory salt, and aromatic luxury toasted sesame oil.
While you can enjoy this simple vegetable snack as simple as it is, you can twist the seasonings to make it more flavorful.
I recommend adding more seasonings when using cannonball cabbage (green cabbage) since it is not sweet as Jaroma cabbage or sweetheart cabbage.
- Japanese Shichimi Togarashi chili powder
- Garlic (garlic powder, grated garlic)
- Ginger (ginger powder, grated ginger)
- Chicken bouillon powder (western or Chinese)
- Add soy sauce
- Add Hondashi powder
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Add Nori (Japanese or Korean)
- Layu oil
Note: Use chicken bouillon powder instead of salt.
Flavor Suggestion
- Japanese Flavor…1 TSP of Hondashi powder + 1/2 TSP of Grated ginger + Shredded Nori
- Chinese Flavor... 1 TSP of Chinese chicken bouillon powder + 1/2 TSP of Grated garlic + Szechuan pepper powder
- Thai Flavor…1 TSP of Chinese chicken bouillon powder + 1/2 TSP of Grated garlic + 1 TSP of Thai soy sauce + 1.5 TSP of honey or sweet chili sauce + fresh lime juice
- Yakiniku restaurant-style…1 TSP of Chinese chicken bouillon powder + 1/2 TSP of Grated garlic + fresh ground black pepper + 1.5 tbsp of Yakiniku sauce (*Jump to homemade Yakiniku sauce recipe)
Unique Kombu Products For Yamitsuki Cabbage
Shio-Kombu
Looking for the weird Japanese flavor?
I don’t want to describe it as “weird” because it is not “weird” / “unique” to me at all, sadly, I understand it looks weird black seaweed thing to you.
“Shio kombu” is a staple Japanese condiment or topping made from kelp cooked with soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
It does not taste like Nori or seaweed salad, It’s sweet and salty (that everyone is craving, right/) with less seaweed flavor.
Shio konbu goes well, especially with rice, indeed, you can find easily it as the filling of rice balls in Japan.
Since Kombu is rich in minerals and amino acids which means it is packed with Umami flavor, just adding shio-kombu can make the simple taste dish savory.
Kombu Dashi Powder (Vegetarian & Vegan)
“Kombu Dashi Powder” is instant Kombu Dashi which can bring a delicate and gentle Umami flavor.
Add 1 tsp of Kombu dashi powder instead of salt.
It is a handy item for Japanese home cooking for not only soup but also it can be used as condiments.
If you like to add authentic Japanese dashi flavor to Yamitsuki cabbage, it can work well easily and quickly.
Japanese Kombucha
Whoopsy, another weird Japanese food- Kombucha, or often called Kobucha.
It is not the Kombucha that you know as a healthy drink.
Japanese kombucha (kobucha) is literally translated as Kelp tea, but it is not also a tea drink like enjoy with sweets tin he tea time.
So what is Kombucha?!
It is made of dried kombu (kelp) powder and sometimes flavored with salt, Umeboshi, or Arare small rice crackers.
Making Kombucha/ kobucha is pretty simple, which is just mixing 1 TSP of kombucha powder with boiled water.
We commonly drink it as after-meal tea or after-drink tea.
Not only as a comfort drink, but the Japanese also use it as condiments as well as Kombu dashi powder.
Compared with Shio-kombu and Instant kombu dashi powder, Kombucha has distinct Kombu (seaweed) flavor.
Add 1 tsp of Kombucha instead of salt.
Japanese Gyokuroen Konbu Cha Powdered Kelp Tea Powder 1.58oz (45g)
Addictive “Yamitsuki” Cabbage: Healthy Vegetable Snack With Savory Toasted Sesame Oil
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cabbage (Jaroma cabbage/ Sweetheart cabbage/ Napa cabbage/ cannon ball cabbage)
- ½-1 TSP Natural salt
- 1.5-2 tbsp Korean/ Japanese toasted Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
- Other seasonings and toppings *see the post
Instructions
- Cut the cabbage in half and then cut half cabbage into bite-size pieces. Or tear leaves with fingers to bite-size pieces.
- Rinse the pieces well under running water and drain the water. (Use a salad spinner if desired.)
- In a large bowl, mix the cut cabbage leaves and salt.
- Drizzle 1.5-2 tbsp of sesame oil over the cabbage, and mix well.
- Top sesame seeds with the cabbage.
- Serve immediately before the cabbage will be watery.
Notes
How To Turn Yamitsuki Cabbage Leftover Into Asazuke Pickles
If you have Yamituki Cabbage leftover, (I am sure it’s watery,) let’s turn it into Japanese ASAZUKE pickles to enjoy for more few days!
Put Yamitsuki cabbage (with any variation of seasonings) in a food stock bag, and add another 1 TSP of salt.
Store it in a fridge for anytime between 30 minutes to overnight.
Serve the Asazuke cabbage after draining the water.
Consume it within 3 days.
Add other vegetables such as sliced cucumber and carrots if desired.
