Japan — vinegar-dressed preparations documented in Heian period court cuisine; New Year namasu a long-established ceremonial food
Namasu and sunomono represent Japan's tradition of vinegared vegetable and seafood salads — preparations that use rice vinegar's particular character (mild, slightly sweet, low acidity compared to Western vinegars) to create refreshing, palate-cleansing dishes served as part of multi-course meals or as standalone preparations. Namasu typically refers to raw vegetable preparations (the name derives from 'nama' — raw), while sunomono (vinegar-thing) encompasses a broader range including seafood. The technique involves a specific process: vegetable or seafood is prepared, often with a preliminary salting step to draw out moisture and soften texture, then dressed with sanbaizu (a three-vinegar dressing of rice vinegar, soy, and mirin in ratio approximately 3:1:2) or nihaizu (two-vinegar, without mirin), sometimes with additional aromatic elements. The classic New Year namasu — kohaku namasu (red and white) — uses julienned daikon and carrot, salted to wilt, squeezed dry, then dressed with sweetened rice vinegar and topped with a piece of dried persimmon. This preparation is deliberately symbolic: the white of daikon and red of carrot represent crane and sun/blood respectively, making it a propitious food. Seafood sunomono particularly suits vinegar dressing — octopus, cucumber, wakame, and tosazu (dashi-enriched vinegar) create classic combinations. The vinegar brightens and contrasts the mild marine flavours while the dashi depth in tosazu prevents the dressing from reading as simply sharp.
Sunomono and namasu have a bright, clean acidity from rice vinegar that refreshes without harshness, a subtle sweetness from mirin that rounds the edges, and (in tosazu preparations) a savoury dashi depth that transforms what might be a simple salad into a complex, satisfying dish.
Preliminary salting and squeezing is essential for crisp, non-watered-down results — vegetables that release their moisture into the dressing dilute it and create a wet rather than dressed salad. Rice vinegar selection affects the final flavour profile significantly — premium rice vinegar (junmai su) has more complexity than mass-produced varieties. Dressing should be made in advance and allowed to rest for flavour integration before using. Amount of dressing is critical — Japanese sunomono is lightly dressed, not dressed in the Western sense.
Make sanbaizu in quantity and store — it keeps refrigerated for weeks and is one of the most useful Japanese kitchen preparations. For seafood sunomono: blanch octopus briefly, slice thinly; combine with thinly sliced cucumber (salted, squeezed, rinsed), reconstituted wakame; dress with tosazu just before serving. The tosazu formula: bring rice vinegar, dashi, soy, and mirin to a gentle simmer; add a small piece of katsuobushi; steep 5 minutes; strain and cool. This enriched vinegar has remarkable depth. For kohaku namasu: julienne daikon and carrot at 5:1 ratio, salt, rest 15 minutes, squeeze completely dry, dress with sweetened rice vinegar (vinegar plus a generous amount of sugar) and refrigerate overnight — the flavours integrate dramatically.
Skipping the preliminary salting and squeezing step — liquid released from undressed vegetables dilutes the dressing and creates a watery preparation. Over-dressing — Japanese sunomono should be lightly, delicately dressed, not soaked. Using Western wine vinegar or balsamic instead of rice vinegar — the acidity profile and flavour character are incompatible with Japanese sunomono's subtle balance.
The Japanese Kitchen — Hiroko Shimbo