You'll never look at cabbage the same way again once you've tasted this Japanese Izakaya style "yamitsuki" cabbage! Crunchy pieces of fresh cabbage tossed in sesame oil and seasonings for the ultimate umami bomb. Even if you don't like cabbage, I guarantee this dish will change your mind!
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Izakaya Style Salted Cabbage
What is Izakaya?
So first, you might be wondering what an "izakaya" is exactly. An izakaya is a Japanese equivalent to a bar or a pub, a place where you can gather with friends or business associates for food and drinks.
Munching and drinking are equally important there. Dishes are usually served in a tapas (small dish) style and shared amongst everyone.
Meat, fish, vegetables, tofu... There are many different unique dishes are served in each izakaya and it's always exciting to order lots of different small things.
↓ Check out my other recipes ↓
Japanese like to drink with veggies?
What is your favourite beer snack?
Crisps? Chips? Nuts? Cheese?...the list probably goes on but who likes drinking beer with vegetables?
I guess not many people do!
But in Japan, a lot of people like drinking beer with vegetables such as:
- Cucumber Pickles
- Salad
- Fried Vegetables
- Yamitsuki Cabbage
A majority of food on the table would be meat and fish but there's always one or two in your group saying "Shouldn't we get some veg?" or "How about something refreshing?". It's good to have balance after all!
Salted cabbage
These salted cabbages are commonly known as "addictive" or "yamitsuki" (やみつき)" cabbage and served in izakaya restaurants and yakiniku restaurants (where beer drinkers tend to go).
Like the name suggests, it is actually addictive and some places even offer a free refill service.
I always end up ordering refills without a fail. I absolutely love this dish!
So today's recipe is my recreation of this Izakaya Style "Addictive" Salty Cabbage (居酒屋風やみつき塩キャベツ)
It's very easy and cheap to make, I highly recommend it!
Check out our video for How to Make Izakaya-style "Addictive" Salted Cabbage
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Izakaya Style "Addictive" Salted Cabbage (居酒屋風やみつき塩キャベツ)
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 Servings 1x
Description
How to make Izakaya Style "Addictive" Salted Cabbage (small batch serves 2)
Ingredients
- 100g Cabbage (approx 1 ¼ US cups)
- 2 tablespoon Sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon Chicken stock powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- First, wash the cabbage and roughly cut it into bite-size pieces.
- Add your cabbage to a large bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, ½ tablespoon of chicken stock powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic paste and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the cabbage. (Alternatively you can mix them in a small bowl and add them to the cabbage already mixed.)
- With your hands, rub the seasoning over the leaves, making sure to evenly distribute it. (You don't want to end up with one very salty bite!)
- Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy with a beer or as a side at a BBQ!
Notes
This is a small batch recipe for 2 people. Feel free to double or triple!
If the recipe is too salty or not salty enough, you can adjust the ingredient amounts to suit your own tastes.
Best served straight away. (But you can keep it in the fridge for up to 1-2 hours if you really need to)
- Category: Sides
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Japanese salted cabbage salad recipe,Izakaya style cabbage salad,Japanese cabbage with salt and sesame oil,pickled green cabbage,japanese pickled vegetables recipe,Japanese pickled cabbage
This is a great recipe. It’s a wonderful umami bomb. Thanks for sharing!
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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!
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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
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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.
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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 🙂