Sauces

I don’t want you to think that Japanese cooks create all of the sauces for modern Japanese dishes from scratch. In fact, just the opposite is the case. Bottled sauces for the most common dishes are in widespread use, and there is no shame in using them to achieve the right Japanese flavor. Some very simple flavorings are usually made from scratch, such as simmered liquids made from mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and sake, but prepared sauces save the day for Western-style dishes like Yakisoba (see recipe), Okonomiyaki (see recipe), Tonkatsu (see recipe), and Hamburg (see recipe). Many of these sauces are getting easier to find. The most commonly used sauces are included here.

Chili Bean Paste: Known as toban djan, this dark red paste contains bits of hot red chili, garlic, and mashed soybeans. Strong-flavored and spicy, it is frequently used in such Chinese-inspired recipes as Mapo Dofu (see recipe), Ebi no Chiri So-su (see recipe), and Shohei no Butaniku to Goma Ramen (see recipe). It is hot, but not incendiary. Taste it before you use it to determine your own tolerance. Look for chili bean paste stocked alongside other Asian sauces in the international food aisle of most supermarkets. If you can’t find it, chili garlic paste or chili garlic sauce can be substituted.

Goma Dare: This bottled sesame sauce, typically a mixture of sesame seeds, soy sauce, sugar, dashi, mirin, and other ingredients, is used straight from the bottle to dress steamed vegetables or as dipping sauce for nabemono (one-pot dishes).

Okonomiyaki Sauce: This sweet-sour-fruity combination of tomato, fruit, vinegar, and spices is closely related to tonkatsu sauce and yakisoba sauce, and in a pinch, any one of the three can be substituted for the others. If your regular market carries it, it will be stocked in the international food aisle along with other Asian sauces.

Oyster Sauce: Thick, salty, and slightly briny, this Chinese flavor waker-upper is combined with other sauces or used in small amounts on its own to enhance other flavors. Oyster sauce keeps well in the refrigerator after opening, and if the cap is cleaned and tightly closed after using, it will have a long life. It’s found in the Chinese food section or with other Asian sauces in the international food aisle.

Ponzu Sauce: This bottled sauce combines citrus-flavored vinegar with soy sauce. The citrus fruit is traditionally yuzu, a type of citron, but versions using lemon, lime, or sudachi (a tiny Japanese lime) are also found in Japanese stores. The ponzu sauce found in most Western markets is fine for serving with the Sukiyaki on see recipe, where the refreshing and cleansing bite of the citrus perfectly offsets the fatty richness of the meat. Ponzu can also be used as a seasoning for grilled or fried fish, or in salad dressings for a vinegary, citrusy kick.

Sukiyaki Sauce: You can purchase this sauce, which is used for cooking the dish, but it can also be made from scratch if you have soy sauce, mirin, and sugar on hand.

Teriyaki Sauce: This is probably the most popular Japanese sauce available outside of Japan. You can buy it in flavored versions, such as garlic. I’ve used only the regular flavor in my recipes. You can also make this one yourself. It’s super easy (see the recipe for salmon on see recipe for a favorite version).

Tomato Ketchup: The tomatoey secret in countless Japanese dishes, Western ketchup, with its slightly sweet tomato taste, is a common ingredient in many of my recipes, either mixed with other ingredients or on its own. Kagome is the largest Japanese brand, but your usual will do.

Tonkatsu Sauce: Also called fruit sauce, this thick, slightly sweet, spiced (think cloves) sauce is indispensable in the modern Japanese kitchen. Bull Dog is a famous Japanese brand, but Kikkoman is the most widely available brand outside of Japan. Almost no one makes this sauce at home, so if you can’t find it at your market, buy it online. It keeps in the refrigerator for a long time after opening.

Tsuyu: This sauce, which doubles as a soup base and a seasoning, is diluted for use as a broth for hot soba and udon or as a dipping sauce for soba and tempura. Most versions of tsuyu contain dashi, sake, soy sauce, and sometimes mirin or sugar. Tentsuyu, the classic dipping sauce for tempura, is a concentrated version of tsuyu, probably to balance the relatively strong flavor of the fried food. You can use a purchased sauce, diluting it as indicated on the bottle, if you don’t want to make the homemade sauce that I have included with the tempura recipe on see recipe. I have also included a homemade tsuyu sauce, milder than the tempura version, for dipping cold soba (see recipe). A mild tsuyu is also recommended for Agedashi Dofu (see recipe), but since you need only a small amount, a diluted bottled product is easiest.

Worcestershire Sauce: This British sauce is a major ingredient in Japan’s Western-style recipes. Although thicker in texture, your favorite steak sauce can also work in a recipe calling for Worcestershire sauce. Just a little bit will perk up a dish.

Yakisoba Sauce: Yet another variation on the tonkatsu-sauce theme, bottled (or squeeze-bottled) yakisoba sauce is the way to go. It has an unmistakable tang and spice and gives the stir-fried noodle dish its distinctive flavor. You probably won’t find it in your regular market, but you should seek it out online. It makes the dish and never fails to evoke memories of Japanese street fairs, where yakisoba is always sold.

HAMBURG SO-SU (HAMBURGER SAUCE)

Here are two versions, each making about 1¼ cups. One relies on bottled tonkatsu sauce and one you make from scratch. To make the sauce with bottled tonkatsu sauce: in a small saucepan over low to medium heat, combine 1 cup tonkatsu sauce, ¼ cup red wine, ¼ cup water, and 2 tablespoons ketchup, mix well, and cook about 3 minutes. To make the sauce from scratch: in a small saucepan over low to medium heat, combine 1 cup tomato ketchup, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup red wine, ¼ cup water, and 1 teaspoon sugar, mix well, and cook about 3 minutes. Store any leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Use on hamburgers, meat loaf, or even on an omelet.