JAPANESE GLOSSARY

Condiments, Seasonings & Sauces

Dashi

Japanese Soup Stock

Dashi is one of the stocks which form the basis of almost all Japanese cooking. Dashi is commonly made by heating katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), konbu (kelp), shiitake mushroom or iriko (sardine) and draining off the resultant broth. It is used for flavouring dishes such as soups, nabe (hot pots), sauces and rice dishes. Dashi in easy-to-mix powdered form is very popular as it can be used to produce authentic-tasting Japanese cuisine without the effort that making stock from scratch entails.

Dressing

Japanese Salad Dressings

Japanese cuisine is full of examples of new great-tasting foods that have been invented by adapting the food of other nations. Japanese salad dressings are particularly good examples of this. Made from ingredients such as soy sauce, sesame oil and seeds, shiso, umeboshi, yuzu, and dashi, these dressings perfectly complement salads containing Japanese ingredients such as tofu, seaweed, konnyaku, daikon radish and sashimi.

Goma-abura / Tempura-abura

Sesame Oil / Tempura Oil

Sesame oil is used in stir-fries and fried dishes as well as for seasoning. It has a delicious aroma and a rich, nutty flavour, and has the effect of reducing gbadh cholesterol. Extracting the oil from toasted seeds gives the oil a strong aroma and a dark brown colour. If fresh seeds are used, the oil tastes richer and its colour is lighter. A special oil is available for frying tempura, the lightly-battered fish and vegetable dish which is hugely popular in Japan.

Karashi

Japanese Mustard

Made from the seeds of the karashina plant, karashi was used in ancient times as a medicine as well as a food. Bright yellow in colour, karashi is available in both paste and powder forms, and is used to add spiciness and flavour to natto, shumai (Chinese dumplings), o-den (a kind of Japanese hot pot) and salad dressings. Karashi is similar in nature to wasabi, meaning the intensity of its flavour is greater than that of Western mustard, and it is therefore used in very small quantities.

Mirin

Sweet Cooking Alcohol

A sweet, syrupy liquid, mirin is one of Japan's principal condiments. It has an alcohol content of about 13-14%, which is often burnt off during cooking. Mirin has a subtle natural sweetness, and its balanced flavour make it a very versatile condiment. Mirin is used for dishes such as nimono (simmered dishes), for marinating and glazing, and in teriyaki sauce. As well as hon mirin or 'real mirin', cheaper mirin style condiments with salt or other ingredients added, and generally less alcohol, are also available.

Miso

Fermented Soy Bean Paste

Many Japanese swear by the old saying that, “a bowl of miso soup a day keeps the doctor away”. Miso is made from soy beans and usually rice or barley, which are steamed, mixed with koji (a fermentation starter) and left to ferment for six months to five years. The longer the fermentation, the darker and richer the miso. Modern analysis shows that miso is an extremely nourishing and well-balanced food containing protein, vitamins and essential amino acids. Most famously used in soups, it can add flavour to many dishes.

Ponzu

Citrus Vinegar

Ponzu is derived from the Dutch word “pons”, which means citrus juice. Ponzu is the juice of fruit such as lemon, sudachi, yuzu and kabosu, sometimes mixed with su (vinegar). It has a refreshing taste and is also a good stimulant, since the acid found in ponzu breaks down fat and lactic acids, which cause fatigue. Ponzu is most commonly used as ponzu shoyu, a mix of ponzu, soy sauce, sugar or mirin and dashi. This can be used as a dipping sauce for nabe (hot pots).

Ryorishu

Cooking Sake

Ryorishu is a type of sake (rice wine) made especially for cooking. It is often used in marinades for meat and fish to make them more tender, as well as to mask their smell. In cooking, it is often used to add body and flavour to tsuyu (soup stock) and sauces, or to make nimono (simmered dishes) and yakimono (grilled dishes). To enable shops not licensed to sell alcohol to stock it, manufacturers are required by law to add salt (2-3%) to ryorishu to make it unfit for drinking.

Sansho

Japanese Pepper

Unique to Japan and China, sansho is unrelated to black pepper or chilli pepper. It has a strong aroma, subtle lemony overtones and creates a pleasant tingling sensation in the mouth. Sansho is widely-used to add a mild spiciness and rich fragrance to noodle dishes and grilled eel. The buds, flowers and seeds of sansho are all used to flavour cooking. The leaves of the sansho plant, known as kinome, are used in spring to add flavour to bamboo shoots and soups.

Sauce

Japanese Sauces

The Japanese use a variety of savoury sauces to pep up their food. Several are inspired by Worcester sauce, which was brought to Japan and adapted. As well as the thin, spicy Worcester sauce, there is a thicker, milder and sweeter tonkatsu sauce, often used with the deep fried pork cutlet dish of the same name. In addition, there is a sauce formulated specifically for serving with o-konomiyaki (savoury pancakes), and a chuno sauce that blends both mild and spicy flavours.

Shichimi / Ichimi Togarashi

Seven Spice Pepper / Chilli Pepper

Shichimi togarashi, which means “seven-taste chilli pepper”, is a dried mixture of red chilli flakes, sansho, goma, nori, shiso, dried mandarin or orange peel, hemp and poppy seeds. Popular throughout Japan, the ingredients and balance of the mix varies regionally. It is usually sprinkled on hot udon noodle soup and many other dishes to add flavour, spiciness and aroma. Shichimi togarashi is known to be a remedy for colds and flu, and is also good for the stomach. Ichimi means “one taste”, and ichimi togarashi consists of just chilli pepper.

Shoyu

Soy Sauce

A staple of Oriental cuisine, soy sauce adds flavour to many dishes, both in cooking and at the table. Made from soy beans, wheat and salt, and fermented for several months, Japanese soy sauce has a rich aroma and a salty, subtle and complex flavour. Koikuchi shoyu, developed in the east of Japan, is dark coloured with a slightly fruity flavour that reduces fishy and meaty smells in cooking. Usukuchi shoyu, originally favoured in the west of Japan, has a lighter colour and saltier taste than koikuchi.

Su / Sushizu

Rice Vinegar / Sushi Vinegar

Made from rice, this light and mild tasting vinegar is an essential ingredient in sushi rice and sunomono (vinegared salads). With lower acidity than Western vinegars, it has long been associated with youthful-looking skin and longevity. Vinegar increases the potency of vitamin C, which improves complexion, and in the past su was used in cosmetics in Japan. Vinegar is also known for its anti-bacterial properties and this is one reason why su is often used in Japanese dishes that include raw fish, seafood and meat.

Tamari

Wheat-free Soy Sauce

Tamari refers to the protein-rich liquid which comes from fermenting soy beans. Tamari is thicker, richer and darker than soy sauce and is produced mainly in the central Chubu region of Japan. Little or no wheat is used in the production of tamari, which is actually closer to the original recipe for soy sauce, when it was introduced to Japan from China. An ideal, umami-rich accompaniment to sushi and sashimi, tamari has a mellow flavour and is used mainly for dipping, seasoning and for marinades.

Tare

Dipping / Marinade Sauces

There are many dipping sauces used in Japanese dishes. Yakiniku no tare (barbecue sauce) is made from soy sauce, fruits, vegetables, sesame oil, herbs and spices. It can be used both for dipping and also to marinate meat before roasting. Sukiyaki no tare, a mildly sweet sauce, is made from soy sauce, mirin, sugar and dashi, and used to stew sukiyaki ingredients. Shabu shabu no tare, a dipping sauce used for lightly cooked and thinly sliced meats, comes in several varieties such as ponzu sauce and sesame sauce.

Tsuyu

Soup for Noodles / Tempura

Mentsuyu, the strong, salty soup stock used in soba and udon noodle dishes, and ten-tsuyu, the dipping sauce for tempura, are made from dashi, katsuobushi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. There are two basic types of mentsuyu: kaketsuyu, which is poured hot over boiled noodles to make noodle soup, and tsuketsuyu, which literally means “dipping soup” and is used as a dip for chilled noodles. Tentsuyu is left to cool before being served, accompanied by grated daikon (white giant radish), with freshly fried tempura.

Umami Chomiryo

Umami Seasoning

Umami is a savoury taste that human beings find appealing. One of the principal sources of this taste is glutamate, which occurs naturally in many foodstuffs. Umami seasoning is in fact monosodium glutamate, discovered by a Japanese scientist in the early 20th century. It brings out the flavour of other ingredients in a dish, and is popular as a condiment in Japan, being used in the preparation of meat and fish, and to season soups, sauces and salad dressings.

Wasabi

Japanese Horseradish

Wasabi is a root plant with a pleasant aroma and a sharp, fiery flavour. In early 17th century Japan, it became a popular accompaniment to sushi, promoting the spread of its cultivation. Wasabi is available fresh, and can be grated like horseradish, as a paste or in powder form. It is also mixed with soy sauce and used as a condiment with sashimi and sushi. When used for seasoning, wasabi stimulates the appetite and is also known to prevent food poisoning.