Benishoga :: Red Ginger
Benishoga is one of the most popular types of pickled ginger in Japan, along with gari. Instantly recognisable due to its bright red colour which it gets from the red perilla leaf, it is pickled in a solution left over from the production of umeboshi pickled apricots. It is then usually shredded, and sprinkled on a wide range of popular dishes including o-konomiyaki (savoury pancakes), yakisoba (stir-fried noodles) and gyudon (beef and rice bowl), to which it adds an invigoratingly sharp flavour.
