Steps

1. Peel the onions. Cut off the top and root ends, then use a knife to peel off the edge of the skin and pull it off vertically.
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2. Cut the onions in half lengthwise. Use the tip of your knife to diagonally cut out the core at the root end.
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3. Make several notches from both ends of the onions and slice thinly from the end. Place the sliced onions in a bowl. This is the key! Slicing with a knife instead of a slicer will help them retain their shape when pickled, giving you a crisp texture and sweetness.
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4. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar to the onions in the bowl and mix to coat.
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5. Let the onions sit for 5 minutes to draw out surface moisture. This is the key! Seasoning with salt and sugar creates an osmotic effect, drawing out excess moisture and making it easier for the flavors to penetrate.
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6. Combine 150ml of vinegar, 2 tbsp of honey, and 3g of kombu in a pot.
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7. Bring the sweet and sour dressing to a boil, then turn off the heat. This is the key! Boiling the dressing mellows the sharp aroma of the vinegar.
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8. Gently pat the surface moisture from the onions (which have been sitting for 5 minutes) with a paper towel and transfer them to a clean container. This is the key! Don't squeeze the onions tightly; just pat them lightly. Squeezing will remove their umami and affect their texture.
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9. Pour the cooled sweet and sour dressing over the onions in the container and mix to coat.
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10. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the onions to prevent air from entering, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (they are best the next day).
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11. Remove the kombu from the sweet and sour pickled onions after they have steeped for 1 day.
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12. Take a small amount of the remaining pickling liquid, add about 1/4 the amount of Shiro Dashi to the vinegar, mix, and create a ponzu-style seasoning.
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