shoga (pickled ginger)
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•
Jan 30, 2026
Top tip: find young ginger from your local Asian grocery store; it has much thinner skin and a milder flavour - ideal for pickling. If you use mature ginger (aka the "normal" ginger one finds at the grocery store), this can work however it'll be fibrous, tough, and much more fiery in flavour.
A mandoline is key here - remember the role surface area plays: the thinner, the better.
If you want the shoga to have its characteristic pink hue, I'd suggest throwing in a bit of beetroot into the pickling liquid (less is more here!).
Key equipment
Ingredients (4)
Ingredients (4)
Instructions
Peel and thinly slice the young ginger - As mentioned, I'd suggest using a mandolin however a very sharp knife or even a vegetable peeler can work here. Salt this with 5% of the total weight in salt, give this a mix, and let this sit for 10 minutes.
Blanch the prepared ginger for a few minutes and once cooled, squeeze out all water.
Make the brine by adding the vinegar, sugar, and 1 tsp salt to a pot and bring to a simmer. Put the squeezed ginger into a jar and pour the hot brine (carefully!) until it's fully submerged.
Leave at room temperature for a day and move to the fridge - This is best enjoyed after 1-2 days.
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