Japanese cabbage salad (yamitsuki cabbage)

This Japanese cabbage salad is super quick and easy to make, yet the simple seasoning makes it so deliciously good. It's a classic izakaya side and goes well with a broad range of dishes.

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Cabbage is maybe not one of those vegetables that I would immediately call a favorite, but we do find ourselves eating it fairly often. Whether cooked in dishes like yaki udon or pork and cabbage dumplings, or raw in slaws like my favorite mango jicama slaw, it can be just what a dish needs.

We don't, however, have it so often shining on it's own. The closest is my German red cabbage with apple (a huge favorite), but less so green or white cabbage. I know there's sauerkraut, but honestly it's not that high on my list.

But when we enjoyed this simple cabbage side dish in Japan, that changed. This salad has so little to it, but the flavors are packed with umami and sesame flavors that keep you enjoying more, along with all that cabbage crunch. I knew I needed to make it at home, too.

What is yamitsuki cabbage?

"Yamitsuki" is Japanese for "addictive" as that's pretty much what it is! You get variations in the exact seasoning but it pretty much always has sesame oil in there which gives a great base flavor.

Then a couple additions give it more umami, which can include dashi powder or bouillon/stock powder. A little salt and garlic round it out and add more depth, while some toasted sesame seeds give added flavor and texture, and that's all there is to it. You don't need much of most of the ingredients as a little goes a long way. You might also add in things like pepper or soy, but similarly, just a little if you do.

Not only are there not that many ingredients, you also don't need a lot of prep or dishes. Just mix the dressing and chop the cabbage and add it in. If your dish has a lid, you can even shake it to get all the pieces coated. Either serve in your mixing bowl or transfer to a cleaner, fancier dish as suits.

How to serve this cabbage salad

This salad is something you will often find available in izakayas (bar/taverns) in Japan, but is also great to enjoy at home. You can serve it as a kind of snack/appetizer or have it as a side dish to a range of mains.

Since it's relatively simple, it goes with a broad range of dishes, such as chicken yakitori, karaage (fried chicken), tempura or even more saucey/soupy dishes like Japanese curry, ramen or miso soup. We had it a few times, both in more general izakayas and ones that specialized in yakitori.

If you have leftovers, you can store it in the fridge for a day or two but the cabbage will get increasingly softer the longer you store it. If you want to get ahead, the alternative is to make the dressing and store it separately from the cabbage (which can be for up to a few days in the fridge) then re-mix and toss with the cabbage when needed.

This Japanese cabbage salad, yamitsuki cabbage, is wonderfully easy to make but packed with fantastic savory flavors. The simplicity makes it versatile in what you serve it with, and oh so easy to eat. It's called addictive for good reason!

Try these other favorite Japanese dishes:

• Chashu pork, wonderfully tasty melt-in-your-mouth tender pork belly, perfect to add to ramen and more
• Japanese spinach salad with sesame, horenso gomaae (with another deliciously simply dressing made with crushed sesame and soy)
• Kabocha no nimono, squash simmered in a dashi-based broth until meltingly tender.
• Plus get more Japanese recipes in the archives.

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