【Reading】さらし / ふきん

【English Name】Sarashi cloth

Sarashi is a thin, white cloth made by bleaching cotton fabric. Its formal name is "sarashi-momen" (bleached cotton). With high water absorbency and excellent quick-drying properties, being thin yet durable, it has long been valued as an indispensable tool in Japanese kitchens.

In the sushi setting it is especially active in many situations. With a single cloth it handles a wide range of roles: wiping the knife, moistening the hands, covering the rice tub (handai) to prevent the vinegared rice from drying out, gathering the vinegared rice, straining dashi, and wrapping fish during the yubiki (parboiling) process. There is also a dedicated sarashi made for sushi chefs, woven coarsely so that vinegared rice releases easily.

There are broadly two production methods: "wazarashi" (Japanese bleaching) and "yozarashi" (Western bleaching). Traditional wazarashi is a method of boiling slowly in a cauldron over 2–4 days to refine it, which is said to put less strain on the fibers and produce a soft finish. At first it is stiff with remaining starch, but once washed through with water it becomes soft and supple. Because it can be washed and reused repeatedly, it is economical, and another advantage is that it can be used for a long time, gradually changing its purpose according to the degree of soiling—from dashi-straining to wiping dishes and finally to a counter-wiping cloth.