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–+ servings

How to Make Japanese Shredded Cabbage for Side

Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 8

Ingredients  

  • 1 green cabbage medium head, firm and heavy for its size, Asian flat cabbage or pointed/sweetheart cabbage preferred

Instructions 

  • Take 1 green cabbage and rinse it under cold running water, turning occasionally so that the stream reaches every fold. Use a vegetable brush or damp cloth to rub off stubborn dirt.
    Close up of water droplets on green cabbage
  • Peel off the outer two or three leaves. You can throw them away, or save them for stir fries or soups.
    Green cabbage with the outer leaves peeled off
  • Place the cabbage with the root side facing up, and use the tip of your knife to cut around the core to loosen the base.
    Cutting the root of Japanese green cabbage
  • Gently peel the leaves off one at a time.
    Green cabbage with the outer leaves peeled off
  • Lay the leaves flat on a cutting board, and cut a V shape in the center to remove the chunky vein running through the middle.
    Cutting thick stem out of cabbage leaf on a wooden cutting board
  • Roll 2-3 leaves into a tube and place it down on your cutting board. Thinly slice against the direction of the veins. Make sure to use a sharp knife, and draw the blade in one direction in a smooth stroke, avoid pressing down or sawing.
    Thinly slicing (shredding) rolled cabbage leaves with knife on a wooden cutting board
  • Alternatively, cut using a mandoline slicer.
    Shredding green cabbage with mandoline slicer
  • Drop the shredded cabbage into a bowl of ice cold water and soak for 1 minute.
    Soaking shredded green cabbage in a bowl of ice water
  • Use a salad spinner (or a clean tea towel) to thoroughly dry the cabbage. Place a tall mound on your serving plate and dish up the rest of your meal. Enjoy with a simple dressing, or sauce from your dish. Enjoy!
    Homemade Tonkatsu Pork Cutlet cut into slices and served next to shredded cabbage, mini tomatoes and a small jug of homemade tonkatsu sauce on a dark gray plate

Notes

Choose a tight, dense cabbage that feels heavy for its size with springy, glossy leaves and a short core. Light heads and floppy leaves shred thicker and go limp faster.
"Restaurant" Japanese shredded cabbage is roughly ~1 mm (1/32 in) ribbon-thin. If a strand feels pokey or won't curl, it's too thick and will read tough no matter what dressing you use.
Keep the cabbage cold (≤10°C / 50°F) as early as possible. Warm kitchen air accelerates off-odor and softening, so chilling isn't cosmetic. It protects that clean, crisp "tonkatsu-side" bite.
Crispness comes from internal turgor water, but sogginess comes from surface free water. Any leftover surface moisture will pool, dilute dressing, and collapse the mound, so aim for "dry-to-the-touch" strands before serving or holding.
Don't store shredded cabbage next to strong-smelling or mixed cut veg (it can pick up off-notes). If it's slightly wilted, a brief ice-water refresh plus thorough drying can bring back enough snap to feel "fresh-ish" again.