Refreshing Japanese Seaweed Salad – A Perfect Izakaya Side Dish You Can Make at Home

▲Finished photo of seaweed salad. (Photo provided by Sihkuei-Yu Cultural Creatives)

Text and photos by"Taste of Tokyo: 110+ Beloved Japanese Dishes from Memory"
Author: Murota Manori / Photography: Akiko Ideta, Pierre Gavillet
Publisher: Sihkuei-Yu Cultural Creatives

Ingredients for seaweed salad: 10g mixed seaweed (including wakame, hijiki, ama-nori, and funori, available at Japanese supermarkets or organic stores), 2cm piece of daikon radish, 1/5 of a cucumber

Dressing: 2 tbsp white sesame paste, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cane sugar, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, juice of 1/6 organic lemon, 1cm piece of ginger (peeled and minced), 2 tbsp sesame oil, dill, toasted sesame seeds

▲Illustration of Japanese-style dressing. (Photo provided by Sihkuei-Yu Cultural Creatives)

Instructions:
1. Place the dried mixed seaweed in a bowl and soak in plenty of water. Once the seaweed has absorbed the water and expanded according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
2. Peel the daikon radish, slice it into 0.2cm-thick rounds, then cut into 0.3cm-wide strips.
3. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then slice diagonally into 0.3cm-thick pieces.
4. Mix all the dressing ingredients together, then combine with the seaweed, daikon, and cucumber.
5. Divide the dressed seaweed mixture into individual bowls, drizzle with dressing just before serving, and sprinkle with dill and sesame seeds.