Featured Comment:
“I’ve made this recipe for cabbage several times and on my oh my, this is so delicious and frankly I could eat this every day!! Fantastic recipes. I really enjoy your video instructions.”
– Jen
What is Yamitsuki Cabbage?
Yamitsuki cabbage (or shio kyabetsu) is a simple Japanese side dish made with raw cabbage that has been sprinkled with salt and other seasonings or dressings. Despite its simplicity, it’s truly a delicious dish. In English, it can be translated as “Japanese salted cabbage” or “addictive cabbage”.
“Yamitsuki” (やみつき) means “addictive” in Japanese, and often refers to vegetable side dishes that are flavored in such a way that you won’t be able to stop eating them. They go great with alcohol and are often served in izakaya (Japanese pubs) or yakiniku (Korean BBQ) restaurants, where people often gather to drink and eat.
The seasonings (or sometimes dressings) and toppings depend on the restaurant, so there are literally hundreds of variations of this dish!
The cabbage has a fresh and crunchy texture while the seasonings add umami, yamitsuki cabbage is seriously addictive and some places even offer a free refill service. I always end up ordering refills without fail. I absolutely love this dish!
This recipe is my version of an izakaya-style “addictive” salty cabbage. It’s a 5-minute dish which is very cheap and easy to make; I highly recommend it!
How I Developed This Recipe
If you’ve ever been to an izakaya or a yakiniku restaurant in Japan, you might know what “yamitsuki cabbage” is. It’s not just plain cabbage; it’s got a really great flavor and often becomes addictive. I was inspired by this and decided to create my own version of “addictive” cabbage.
After some trial and error, I came up with a recipe that has that same addictive quality you find in restaurants. And the best part is… It only takes about five minutes to prepare.
It’s a simple way to bring a touch of izakaya charm to your dining table!
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Sesame Seeds: White sesame seeds enhance flavor with their nutty taste.
- Chinese-Style Chicken Bouillon Powder: You can use other types of bouillon powder too, although these will change the flavor slightly.
- Salt & Pepper: I use regular sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Garlic Paste: Finely grated garlic can be used instead, just keep in mind that fresh garlic is more pungent so use slightly less.
- Green Cabbage: Cabbage types can vary depending on where you live, but for this no-cook dish, I suggest using soft green cabbage that can be used raw instead of white, red, or Napa cabbage. You could use spring or sweetheart cabbage as well.
- Chili Threads: Optional garnish to add a pop of color.
Japanese people are known for their love for salty food, but it’s easy to adjust the quantities to suit your taste. Feel free to reduce the salt and chicken bouillon powder if it’s too salty for you.
We all have unique taste buds, which makes yamitsuki cabbage so awesome! Its simple base lets you mix and match ingredients and seasonings to create your perfect dish. Here are some popular add-ins you might find at Japanese izakayas or even in home kitchens:
- Shio kombu
- Soy sauce
- Ground white pepper
- Rice vinegar
- Sugar
- Tobanjan (chili bean paste)
- Kombucha powder
Remember, don’t add all the ingredients at once. Instead, add a little at a time and taste as you go to avoid making your dish too salty or in case some particular flavor becomes too strong. I recommend starting with the basic recipe on the recipe card below if you use this recipe for the first time!
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsIf you want to make this dish suitable for vegetarians and vegans, you can simply substitute the chicken bouillon powder for vegetable stock powder or a little extra salt.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Izakaya-style Addictive Cabbage at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
If you prefer to watch the process in action, check out my YouTube video of this Yamitsuki Cabbage recipe for a complete visual walkthrough!
Mix the sesame oil, sesame seeds, chicken bouillon powder, salt, garlic paste, and black pepper in a bowl. This step is a little different from my original video, but I find by mixing all the condiments beforehand, the flavors are more evenly distributed throughout the dish.
This recipe can be a bit on the salty side for some people, but you can always adjust the salt and bouillon powder amounts to suit your taste.
Roughly cut (tear by hand) the cabbage and add it to the bowl. Mix everything together by hand. This will ensure all the cabbage pieces are evenly covered.
You’ll be eating cabbage raw in this recipe, so I recommend using a softer variety. If you want to use a harder cabbage or don’t want to eat it raw, steam it first to soften it. If you want to know how to steam cabbage, check out my Mugen Cabbage recipe.
If you have any cuts on your hands, make sure they’re covered or wear food-safe gloves to protect your skin.
Transfer to a serving dish.
I like to decorate the top with chili threads for a pop of color and spicy kick, but this is optional!
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsFAQ
Here are answers to frequently asked questions I have received across all platforms, including here, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to me anytime! It will be a big help for everyone in this community!
Yes, you can, but just note that the root portion is too firm when raw. You might want to steam or lightly cook that part first, or simply use the leafy sections for the best result!
I hope you enjoy this Addictive Yamitsuki Cabbage recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Yamitsuki Recipes
- Izakaya’s Yamitsuki Smashed Cucumber Salad
- Crispy Rice Salad with Salmon (Japanese Flavor Twist)
- Mugen “Infinite” Cabbage Salad
- Pickled Cucumber with Ginger
Hungry for more? Explore my yamitsuki recipe collection to find your next favorite dishes!
Addictive Izakaya Style Salted Cabbage (Yamitsuki Cabbage)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- ½ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder or other types of bouillon powder
- ¼ tsp salt fine sea salt is recommended
- ¼ tsp garlic paste or grated garlic (but reduce the amount a bit)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 100 g green cabbage soft variety like spring, sweetheart cabbage or similar
- chili threads optional, to garnish
My recommended brands of ingredients and seasonings can be found in my Japanese pantry guide.
Can’t find certain Japanese ingredients? See my substitution guide here.
Instructions
- Take a large mixing bowl and add 1 ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds, ½ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp garlic paste and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
- Wash 100 g green cabbage and cut it into rough pieces. Add the cabbage to the bowl and rub the seasoning over the leaves, making sure it's evenly distributed. (Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin or any cuts on your hands.)
- Transfer to a serving dish and top with chili threads (optional).
- Enjoy as a side or snack!
Video
Notes
- If you want to use firmer cabbage varieties, just steam them before using.
- You can adjust the salt and bouillon powder amounts to suit your taste. By default, this recipe can be slightly salty for some people.
- Mix all the condiments together first, then add the cabbage to make sure everything gets an even taste.
- Use your hands to mix everything together, making sure all the cabbage pieces are evenly coated with the seasoning.
- Customize with popular Japanese add-ins like shio kombu, soy sauce, white pepper, rice vinegar, sugar, tobanjan (chili bean paste), or kombucha powder.
- When customizing, add ingredients gradually and taste as you go to avoid over-seasoning. Start with the basic recipe if making for the first time.
- This recipe is for a small batch for 2 people, but you can double or triple it!
This is a great recipe. It’s a wonderful umami bomb. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the lovely comment! 🙂
I just made this and I love it!! I added a pinch of Szechuan pepper powder too and it’s really yummy!
Thank you for the lovely comment! Oh yes! Szechuan pepper would make a great kick! 🙂 Such a good idea!
Love the recipe i miss eating this a
When i was in japan
Thank you for the lovely comment! I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
This looks amazing! I am definitely going to try this. Would it work with Napa cabbage too?
Thank you for the comment! As long as you don’t mind raw Napa cabbage in my opinion! 🙂
I’ve made this recipe for cabbage several times and on my oh my, this is so delicious and frankly I could eat this every day!! Fantastic recipes. I really enjoy your video instructions.
Hi Jen,
Thank you for your kind words and five star rating.
I’m so happy you like my recipes and videos, it really means a lot 🙂
Just made this today! It was fantastic. I didn’t know how I’d like it, with it being uncooked but I will be adding this to my recipe book!
Thank you for trying the recipe and giving such a generous rating, I’m so glad you liked it!
This recipe rocks! My husband & I LOVE it. I even had it for breakfast.
Thank you so much Judy! Glad you liked it!
I love to cook. Love to. And I’m pretty damn good at it. I made this as part of an 8 course meal and my girlfriend said she thought it was potentially the best thing I’d ever made. Which is a huge compliment to this recipe, even if I felt a tiny bit insulted…
That is a huge compliment, thank you so much!
Correction: Recipe doesn’t scale teaspoon measurements using the buttons. The problem might be the Unicode “½” tsp instead of typed-out “1/2” tsp? Except the cup-equivalent measures for cabbage *do* scale properly.
This is so tasty! We love this recipe! We used vegetarian bouillon paste, which worked out just fine.
Hi! Thank you for pointing that out, much appreciated. I’ve fixed the problem so it should work now!
I’m happy to hear you like the recipe! I haven’t tried with vegetarian bouillon paste myself, but glad to hear it works. Thank you for sharing!
This is a terrific recipe. I quadrupled the amount of cabbage but only tripled the other ingredients and it came out great. It’s rare I find a new recipe with flavors that are so new to me and so delicious it immediately became a go-to recipe.
Thank you so much for your kind words! It made my day! 🙂
Simple and easy recipe! I added a little bit of grated ginger. I think this would taste great with some shredded chicken as well, if you wanted to make it less side dish and more a main salad type. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Tiffanie,
Thank you for the comment and feedback! That is a great idea!
Yuto
Is this using toasted or untoasted sesame oil?
Hi Ben,
Thank you for your question! It’s toasted sesame oil. I will update the post to make it clearer.
Yuto
Tried it and was delicious and addictive
Thank you, John!
Tried this for the first time for our family meal.Everyone loved it! Thank you!
Hi Hilda,
Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m happy to hear that you all enjoyed it! 🙂
Yuto
This is stunning. I’ve tried it with white cabbage as well and it’s very good if you love crunchy raw cabbage.
Hi Gary,
Thank you for your comment! So glad you enjoyed it — love that you tried it with white cabbage too! I’m really happy to hear it worked well with white cabbage. 🙂
Yuto
I had this in an izakaya, topped with shiokombu – salted seaweed shreds. I loved it so much I had to buy shiokombu to bring home. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Marcia,
Thank you for your comment! Yes, shio kombu is definitely one of the most popular ingredients for this dish/concept in Japan! I hope you’ll enjoy with it! 🙂
Yuto