The most common aemono (dressed salads) are: shira-ae, the tofu-based dressing that we looked at last week; goma-ae, a simple sesame dressing; and finally miso-ae, miso dressing. I presented a version of miso-ae — vinegared and with mustard — when I wrote about the little firefly-like hotaru-ika squid this past spring (see The Japan Times, March 24, 2002).

Another well-loved but not commonly seen aemono, which I have written about on these pages, is kinome-ae, a dressing made with the delicate first leaves of the sansho (Japanese prickly ash) tree and fortified with a bit of taki-miso.

Learning these few basic aemono will open up your washoku repertoire to many possibilities, for as the seasons change the vegetables and proteins used in the salads may be varied. Shira-ae is a staple at the shojin vegetarian table and because of that usually just vegetables are used in this salad. For a textural variation konnyaku may be used, as in last week's recipe.

Because of the neutral color of the dressing, vibrant vegetables, like the bright-yellow Japanese sweet potato, are often used. But whatever the ingredients used, the same care is required when readying them to be incorporated into the aemono.

Goma-ae is easy and often dresses just a single ingredient like fresh green beans. Using simple, single or paired flavors allows the sesame taste to stand out without drowning the main ingredients. Made commonly at home, goma-ae is also sometimes called goma-yogoshi, a colloquial term that means to dirty something with sesame. Thin slices of grilled chicken also pair well with this sesame aemono for a more substantial dish.

The most common miso-ae is the vinegared miso, or sumiso-ae. For all miso-ae, sweet white Saikyo miso is cooked with sake until it is a smooth paste, just a bit looser than the miso was to begin with. This cooked miso is called taki-miso. It is an ingredient essential to all of the different miso-ae and may come in handy when making other washoku dishes.

Sumiso-ae straddles the line between an aemono and a sunomono (vinegared dish). Because it is vinegared it is more likely seen later on in a meal when presented in a restaurant, as it, like other vinegared dishes, acts as a palate cleanser. Sumiso is a good foil for silver-skinned fish such as aji and iwashi, as well as any kind of shellfish.

While aemono are an integral part of a traditional Japanese meal, these days, in cafeterias and at small lunch counters, aemono is being replaced by other more Western-style salads, such as cold potato or macaroni salad. This is unfortunate, since a good opportunity to present seasonal and local vegetables is missed.

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Moyashi to mitsuba no goma-ae

Moyashi are sprouts, usually from the mung bean, the green relative of the red adzuki bean. At home there is no need to trim the tops and tails of each sprout, but for a more elegant look care may be taken and the ends pinched, like you would pinch a bean.

Mitsuba is a common Japanese herbaceous vegetable named for the three leaves at the top of each long stalk. The stalks are fragrant and tender; often the leaves are discarded and only the stalk is used. In today's preparation the leaves may be saved to garnish your morning miso or other soup. The suribachi (grinding bowl) is used again today. A small suribachi may be obtained at any department store and is a good first addition to your Japanese kitchen.

250 grams of moyashi (about 2 heaping cups before cooking)
2 bunches of mitsuba
2 cups of happo dashi (see last week's column, Aug. 25)
5 tablespoons of white sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of koikuchi shoyu (dark soy sauce)
2 teaspoons of usukuchi shoyu (light soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon ground sansho pepper

1) In a good amount of boiling water, plunge the moyashi and blanch quickly — no more than 1 minute — being careful not to overcook. Drain and cool in strainer.

2) Pick the leaves off the mitsuba and trim the root ends. Before blanching in boiling water bind the trimmed root end with a rubber band to make the process easier. Plunge into boiling water and cook briefly, like the moyashi, and then drain and cool with a hand-held fan.

3) While preparing the sesame dressing, place the moyashi and mitsuba in the happo dashi and let sit. This may be done a day in advance, as long as the moyashi and mitsuba in happo dashi is stored in the refrigerator.

4) In a suribachi or other mortar, grind the sesame until about half of the seeds are crushed. Add the sugar and grind a bit more.

5) Drain the moyashi and mitsuba well. Cut the mitsuba into pieces the same length as the moyashi. Add to the sesame and combine gently.

6) Finally add the soy sauces and toss well. Sprinkle with sansho and transfer to serving dishes. Serves four to six.