Yamitsuki Kyabetsu: Gyu-Kaku’s Addicting Cabbage Salad
Packed with plenty of vitamins C and U, cabbage is known for being effective for cancer prevention.
We Japanese often use the vegetable “Kyabetsu (キャベツ)” as the main ingredient in dishes, such as salads and sautés, just like people in other countries do.
Additionally, Japanese home cooks commonly make pickles using cabbage or Kyabetsu in everyday life.
Addicting Yamitsuki Cabbage Salad
When it comes to cabbage pickles offered by Japanese restaurants, I think the one by the popular Yakiniku restaurant chain “Gyu-Kaku (牛角)” called “Yamitsuki Kyabetsu (病み付きキャベツ: Addicting Cabbage)” is the best recognized in Japan.
Gyu-Kaku is the largest Japanese Yakiniku restaurant chain and runs more than 700 BBQ Yakiniku restaurants, including overseas branches.
Of course, there are some Gyu-Kaku restaurants in my city too, where I sometimes enjoy the Yakiniku grill.
Every time I go there, I definitely order the Yamitsuki Cabbage salad, together with various portions of meat and a plate of vegetables.
The cabbage salad tastes pretty good. I have loved it for a long time because of the addictive umami taste that comes from aromatic sesame oil and other seasonings including salt.
But I don’t know what ingredients, other than sesame oil and salt, are used in the fresh vegetable salad.
A Recipe that Recreates the Taste of Gyu-Kaku
Image and Recipe: cookpad.com
Despite that, a woman copied the restaurant’s addicting cabbage salad, created her own recipe that recreates the addictive taste, and posted the recipe on the popular Japanese recipe site Cookpad.com.
Afterward, her recipe gained great popularity and was inducted into the Cookpad.com Hall of Fame.
Curious about that recipe? For people who answer yes to this question, last, let me translate the original instructions into English.
Instructions
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Cabbage | 1/4 piece |
| Salt | 1/4 – 1/3 teaspoon |
| Grated Garlic | 1/3 teaspoon |
| Kombu (Kelp) Tea Powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Sesame Oil | 2 teaspoons |
| Black Pepper, Sesame Seeds | As you like |
- First, cut the cabbage coarsely
- Then, put all the ingredients in a plastic zipper bag
- Mix it up by shaking the bag (But don’t rub the cabbage strongly)
- Ready to eat. Enjoy the addicting cabbage salad!
