PICKLED GINGER I
2 large ginger roots
1 cup rice vinegar
5 to 7 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Peel the ginger root. Cut the ginger into medium-sized pieces and salt it. Leave the ginger in a bowl for 30 min. Put the ginger into a jar.

Mix rice vinegar and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil. Pour the hot mixture of vinegar and sugar on the ginger. Cool, then cover with a lid and place in the refrigerator. In a week, the ginger change its color to light pink. Slice thinly to serve.

The pickled ginger lasts about a month in the fridge. Note: Pickled ginger is served with sushi. Try to eat pieces of pickled ginger between different kinds of sushi. It helps to clean your mouth and enhance the flavors.

PICKLED GINGER II
8 ounces (250 g) ginger root
3 fluid ounces (90 ml) rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin *
2 tablespoons sake **
5 teaspoons sugar

* Mirin is a very sweet rice wine used only for cooking. You can substitute a teaspoon of sugar for a Tablespoon of mirin, or an equal amount of sake.

 ** sake is a rice wine that often accompanies sushi. Dry sherry is a potential but inferior substitute.

Scrub the ginger under running water as you would a potato for baking. Blanch in boiling water for one minute and drain. Combine mirin, sake, and sugar in a small pan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cool.

Place the ginger into a sterilized jar and pour the cooled vinegar over the ginger. Cover and keep 3-4 days before using. Will keep refrigerated for up to one month.

The pale pink color develops as it ages, however, you might want to add a small amount of red food coloring.