cherry tomato dashizuke
the best way to make the most of your cherry tomatoes
Kenji Morimoto is a London-based Japanese American food writer and content creator who specializes in fermentation. He draws from his cultural heritage to teach, write, and share culinary knowledge through various platforms, including his popular Instagram @kenjcooks and his upcoming book "Ferment."
Kenji Morimoto•
October 31, 2025
These cherry tomatoes pickled in a ginger forward dashi (fish broth) are incredible. Yes, a bit fiddly in terms of process (and yes, you can use larger tomatoes) however cherry tomatoes are the perfect size to get maximum pickling (more so marination).
This recipe uses Shiro dashi, which is a concentrated Japanese soup base usually made with dashi (fish broth), soy sauce, and mirin. Normal dashi can be used but you'll want to season it with Japanese soy sauce, mirin, and sugar (either sugar or mirin) so best to cross check some recipes if you can't find Shiro Dashi, however this can generally be found in most Japanese grocery stores.
Garnishing can get creative - I've noted katsuo bushi (dried shaved bonito flakes) and shiso (julienned), but toasted sesame seeds are also a great addition.
This is one pickle that's great in a lot of other dishes - tossed into salads, served with creamy yogurt, or of course, alongside a Japanese meal.
Ingredients (6)
Ingredients (6)
Instructions
Delicately score the stem top side of the cherry tomatoes and quickly blanch them before shocking them in ice cold water. It should be easy to remove the peels after this process. Discard the peels and put the cherry tomatoes into a container of choice.
Add the Shiro Dashi, water, and grated ginger to the cherry tomatoes and give this a gentle mix. Move it to the fridge and let them marinate for a minimum of 12 hours (or overnight). These are best eaten within a few days. Larger tomatoes will last longer.
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