Japanese Potato Salad

It started, as these things often do, with a misunderstanding.

Deep in a Tokyo izakaya, wedged between salarymen loosening their ties and an elderly chef who had clearly seen too much, I made the mistake of praising the potato salad.

Not just any praise. I gasped. I muttered something in broken Japanese that, in hindsight, may have translated to “I would abandon my life for this.”

The chef froze. The room went silent.

A woman at the end of the bar—a vision in a kimono, eyes sharp enough to cut glass—slowly turned to me and said, “So you will marry my grandmother, then?”

I had unknowingly complimented a dish so perfect, so velvety, so absurdly balanced between creamy and tangy, that it had become a point of family honor.

The potatoes? Mashed just enough to hold secrets. The Kewpie mayo? Luxurious, decadent, likely smuggled from a black-market stockpile. Tiny flecks of cucumber and carrot, so delicate you could hear them whisper. And then—an unexpected crunch. Was it ham? Was it the crisp echo of my past life fading away?

I took another bite.

Was I ready to marry a stranger’s grandmother just to secure a lifetime of this salad? Could I abandon everything I knew for the promise of perfectly seasoned potatoes and the unspoken agreement that nothing—nothing—would ever be the same again?

The woman raised an eyebrow, waiting for my answer.

I hesitated.

And then, the chef refilled my sake.

The night was young. The potato salad was eternal.

How To Make Japanese Potato Salad

The ingredients in this recipe are fairly common and easy to find. Probably why this is such a popular homestyle dish. The one thing you absolutely do need is the Japanese mayonnaise as the flavor it imparts to this salad are so unique. If you don’t want to make your own (very easy) then you can try to order it online or pick it up at an Asian grocery store.

Ingredients

• 3 large Potatoes – I use a few Russet potatoes which work well in this recipe. You can use any potato that you would use for fries as it will likely work just fine.
• 1 large Carrot – peeled and sliced into very thin quarter-rounds.
• 2 Persian Cucumbers – or one long English cucumber. Halved and sliced into thin half-rounds
• 1 cup Corn – you can use frozen or canned, both work well in this recipe.
• 2 Eggs – hardboiled
• 75 grams Ham – this is about a couple sheets of thick style lunchmeat ham or about half a cup of julienned cut ham.
• 2 tbsp Japanese Mayonnaise – or to taste. Start with 2 heaping tablespoons and then add more later if necessary (I often go up to 4 but it really depends on how wet your potatoes and vegetables are).
• 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp White Pepper – or to taste
• Salt – to taste, plus for salted the boiling potato water
• 1 tbsp Sugar – optional, if you feel the dish would benefit.
• Green Onion – optional, for garnish

Making The Potato Salad Step By Step

Step one in making this salad is to boil the potatoes. Peel them and cut them into chunks, then place in a pot. Fill the pot with water so it is one inch (2.5cm) above the tops of the potato pieces. Bring to a boil and let them cook until the potatoes are fork tender.

While the potatoes are cooking you should work on everything else. Cut your cucumbers into half moon slices and sprinkle them with about two teaspoons of salt. Set them aside and work on cutting the carrots and ham.

Once your potatoes are fork tender, about 25 minutes, give them a very rough mash. You don’t want creamy mashed potatoes. Just use the masher to chunk them up a bit like the picture above.

Next add the carrots, corn, and ham.

Take your salted cucumber pieces and run them under ice water to rinse them of the excess salt. This will keep the cucumber from bringing too much salt to the potato salad, as well as keeping them nice and crisp.

Add the cucumber, chopped boiled egg, Japanese mayonnaise, vinegar, and white pepper to the bowl. If you are adding sugar you can add it now, or just wait until after mixing and then add to taste.

Give everything a good mix with a paddle or rubber spatula. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then place in a serving bowl. Garnish with some chopped green onion and enjoy!

What To Eat With Japanese Potato Salad

Since Japanese potato salad is a side dish it can be paired with a variety of dishes. Or even used as the filling for white bread sandwiches!

Here are a few other Japanese dishes that pair well with this potato salad:

• Braised or Grilled meats balance nicely with this creamy salad.
• Onigiri is another popular convenience store staple. My spicy tuna onigiri and this potato salad are a great match when you want to recreate those Tokyo 7-11 trips in between bar hopping.
• Chicken Katsu is a meal in itself but every main can have a side and potato salad shines in this pairing.

Japanese Potato Salad