Sunomono Japanese Vinegared Dishes
Japanese court and kaiseki cuisine tradition — documented in Heian period texts
Sunomono (酢の物, vinegared things) is the Japanese category of vinegared dishes served as palate refreshers between richer courses. The foundational dressing is sanbaizu (三杯酢, three-cup vinegar): equal parts rice vinegar, mirin, and soy sauce — balanced between sour, sweet, and savory. Most common: kyuri (cucumber) with wakame seaweed and surimi, or ebi (shrimp) with cucumber and sudachi citrus. The key technique is oshidashi: salting vegetables first to remove excess water before dressing, preventing dilution. Sunomono's role in a meal mirrors the salad course in French cuisine — cleansing, refreshing, leading into the next course.