Japanese style potato salad

Japanese potato salad has been popular for a long time. It’s not a traditional food here in Japan, but we feel something nostalgic for it. It’s probably because this potato salad is categorized as so-called 洋食 (yoshoku), western-style dishes which started being made by Japanese chefs after the Meiji era (1868-1912), such as “Japanese curry”, ” Omurice” etc. I’d like to talk about “Yoshoku” in the future, but for now, let me tell you how to make Japanese potato salad.
The recipe for this dish is pretty simple. I also think that you have similar recipes in your country. However, If you’d like to make authentic Japanese potato salad, here are some tips.
What kind of potato should be used
男爵芋 (danshaku imo) is the most consumed potato in Japan, and this potato is suitable for Japanese potato salad.
Dansyaku imo is fluffy and not soggy, it falls apart easily when cooked in stock. So I don’t use this potato when I make stew, but it’s essential for this potato salad.
However, you don’t need to look too hard for a Dansyaku imo.
If you can’t find it, there’s no need to worry. You can use Idaho (or any other russet) potatoes instead. As far as I know, the texture is very similar to the Danshaku imo.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is one of the key ingredients for this salad.
I prefer homemade mayonnaise over commercial mayonnaise.
However, I always use Japanese branded Mayonnaise when making potato salad. Otherwise, I don’t feel that it’s Japanese potato salad.
So, I would like you to try Japanese mayonnaise when making authentic Japanese potato salad. I believe that “Kewpie mayonnaise” is the biggest brand in Japan although I’m not a big fan of that. In my experience, you should be able to make Japanese flavored potato salad as long as you use Japanese products regardless of the brand.
Cucumber
I have one more concern regarding this Japanese potato salad. As I said on the “About Me” page, I love watching foreign cooking shows, and I always think that foreign cucumbers look different from ours here in Japan.
The Japanese cucumber is thinner. It doesn’t have big seeds on the inside. It should make a crunchy sound when you bite into a fresh cucumber. Also, the crisp texture maintains even if it has been pickled or rubbed with salt. The texture is also one of the keys to this salad. I wonder if your cucumber has the same texture.
However, you don’t need to worry about it so much. In Japan, each person adds different ingredients to this dish, depending on our preferences. I sometimes substitute edamame for cucumber. It’s also good! You can enjoy different textures with the same flavor. I often do that!
Texture
Another characteristic of this potato salad is its rough texture. Try not to mash your potatoes too much. Japanese potato salad has some small chunks here and there.
This time, I added very basic ingredients, cucumbers, carrots, and onions to this potato salad but you can add other ingredients as you like. In Japan, ham, lettuce, boiled eggs are often used for this.
I personally don’t use onions when adding this potato salad to my bento. I don’t like the overpowering smell from the onions when opening a bento box.
I believe that this potato salad goes well with many different kinds of meals such as Japanese or western style, breakfast, lunch, and even dinner.
Why don’t you try adding a new salad to your regular meals?

Tried this recipe?
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I look forward to seeing your dish!
Thank you for allowing me to share my recipe with you. I hope to see you again soon.
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