Namikura Red Miso
Red Miso is stronger, saltier and more assertively flavored than yellow or white miso due to its six-month aging process and has a higher proportion of soybeans for a richer taste. This particularly interesting version has sweet flavors reminiscent of sherry and milk chocolate that are perfect for pairing with red meat and other robust dishes.
King Foods Carrot Dressing
Carrots are the star ingredient in this unique dressing. Prepared by accomplished chef to the Japanese royal family and head of King Foods, Takashi Hidie, it combines carrots with honey, vinegar and garlic for a tangy and savory result that strikes a lovely balance between sweetness and zest. We don’t just reserve this pleasantly thick dressing for salad, though—use it to marinade meat or as a dipping sauce, add it to rice and noodles, steaks, burgers or sandwiches.
King Foods Kabosu Dressing
A popular Japanese citrus closely related to yuzu, kabosu is the star ingredient in this tangy dressing. Prepared by accomplished chef to the Japanese royal family and head of King Foods, Takashi Hidie, it combines satisfyingly acidic kabosu juice with sugar, vinegar, EVOO, dashi and bonito powder for a tart and smoky result with the right amount of sweetness. We don’t just reserve this light dressing for salad, though—use it to marinade meat or as a dipping sauce, add it to rice and noodles or drizzle on steaks, burgers and sandwiches.
Nihonichi Shoyusco Jalepeño Hot Sauce
Nihonichi’s Jalapeño Shoyusco Hot Sauce was wildly different from any other hot sauce our testers had ever tried before. It’s produced in Japan by a revered shoyu manufacturer that traces its roots back to the 1700s. To make their soy sauce, they ferment soy for up to two years in 100-year-old cedar wood vats, unlike the stainless steel tubs other producers use. Once brewed, the soy sauce is combined with balsamic vinegar, which serves as a unique base, lending depth to the light, bright addition of jalapeño heat. There’s a welcome thread of garlic rounded out with white pepper for an addictive, truffle-like quality. Its’ spicy, bright and packed with umami—what’s not to love? It disappears so quickly in Matthew Card’s, Creative Director of Recipes and Products, house, that he buys three bottles at a time.
Nihonichi Premium Tamari
Tamari, the liquid byproduct that results from pressing miso, is so much more than gluten-free soy sauce (a common misconception among American cooks). This premium tamari from Nihonichi is darker, richer and less salty in flavor than the soy sauce in your cabinet, adding layers of umami and a sweet finish—reminiscent of miso—with just a splash. It’s produced in Japan by a revered shoyu manufacturer that traces its roots back to the 1700s. And unlike grocery store brands that may muddy and darken the flavors of your dish, this tamari, naturally brewed in wooden vats, is deeply flavorful and pourable, perfect to add to just about any dish.
King Foods Onion Dressing
Onion is the star ingredient in this well-balanced dressing. Prepared by accomplished chef to the Japanese royal family and head of King Foods, Takashi Hidie, it combines the popular allium with oil, vinegar, honey and garlic for a slightly sweet, onion-forward result with just the right hit of acid. We don’t just reserve this pleasantly thick dressing for salad, though—use it to marinade meat or as a dipping sauce, add it to rice, noodles, steaks, burgers and sandwiches.
Enokida Jozo Yuzu Miso
Saucy and full of punchy yuzu flavor, Enokida Jouzo's Yuzu Miso is a lovely twist on a typical umami-packed miso. With a texture perfect for spreading or glazing, this slightly sweet miso is made from rice malt and yuzu, a tart citrus fruit grown in Japan. Add this citrusy flavor bomb on top of rice, mixed into noodles, on vegetables, fish, chicken, meat and more. Based in the Gunma Prefecture at the foot of Mt. Akagi in Maebashi City, a place known for its fermented foods, the company has been in business for over 100 years.
Marukin Mentsuyu All-Purpose Noodle Sauce & Soup Base
Used widely across Japan as a standalone sauce, soup base and dressing for cold noodles, this umami-packed mentsuyu from Marukin needs no diluting. Unlike other similar products on the market, this full-flavored, complex sauce is completely ready to use—without adding any water. A blend of premium soy sauce and dashi broth, each high quality ingredient is sourced from Japan. Balancing both salty and sweet, each bite is smoky and briny without overpowering. With a variety of uses, we like it served alongside both hot or cold noodles, as a dipping sauce or as a broth. It also works well as a dipping sauce for tempura, as a base for other soups, subbed in for dressing, marinade, pickling liquid or splashed in as a flavor enhancer for egg dishes.
Shibanuma Yakiniku BBQ Sauce
Translating to “grilled meat” in Japanese, yakiniku is a social style of cooking and eating around a communal grill. Popular throughout Japan, family and friends gather around a tabletop grill to cook meat, vegetables and fish together before dipping them into a several kinds of yakiniku sauces. Shibanuma’s Yakiniku BBQ Sauce is inspired by this concept. Crafted by a 330-year-old esteemed Japanese soy sauce maker, it is no surprise that the first ingredient in this sauce is an umami-rich soy sauce, which is brewed and aged in wooden barrels. The soy is then combined with onion, fruity apple and zingy sansho pepper—a fragrant and floral Japanese peppercorn—to cut through the richness and balance out the flavors. The result? A complex grilling sauce that works just as well as a marinade as it does drizzled over rice.
Yokofuku Japanese Garlic Paste with Shio Koji
Crafted from Japanese-grown garlic, this velvety, creamy paste is a game-changing flavor booster—every jar contains two whole heads of garlic, finished with a hint of fermented funk from shio koji. Its texture resembles garlic butter—the garlic is raw when pureed into paste. The paste is ready to use out of the jar, bringing garlic, salt and umami to dishes without making a sticky, pungent mess of your hands or cutting board.
The first note is a bold hit of sweet garlic, with zero pungency or bite to follow up. The koji provides an earthy, rounded sweetness like other fermented ingredients—like gochujang or miso—and is our secret to perfect marinades. Shio koji’s enzymes break down proteins, for juicy, tender meat and fish. Mix it into marinades or brines (the fast-working shio koji save tenderizing time), toss with stir-fries or pastas, stir into soup or rub as is on to steak or chicken legs. We also like it as a condiment—slather it on toasted bread, serve on a charcuterie board or with antipasti, dish some up alongside grilled vegetables or fried chicken. This premium seasoning is made with zero artificial additives.
Yokofuku Japanese Black Garlic Paste
Soft and mildly sweet with savory, rich undertones, black garlic is an umami-packed ingredient that sets itself apart from normal garlic, which can be sharper and pungent. Still not found in most grocery stores, black garlic has grown in popularity in recent years as a simple way to add a complex, earthy-sweet boost to dishes. This Japanese Black Garlic Paste from Yokofuku is made from garlic planted in mid-September in Kagoshima Prefecture, an area with active volcanoes that makes for the most fertile soil. It’s harvested in early June, then steamed in a pot to create a constant temperature and humidity, which helps turn its enzymes from white to black—no additives or coloring required. Reminiscent of roasted garlic but a bit sweeter, the flavor is subtle yet deeply rich with tart hints of prunes and molasses. Ready to use right out of the jar without making a sticky, pungent mess of your hands or cutting board, add to sauces, aiolis, eggs, noodles, rice, marinades, meats and more.
Yokofuku “More More Garlic” Teriyaki Sauce
An exclusive Milk Street staff favorite and chock-full of Japanese-grown garlic, Yokofuku’s “More More Garlic” Teriyaki Sauce brings bold, sweet, garlicky flavor to just about anything you add it to. Planted in mid-September in Kagoshima Prefecture, an area with active volcanoes that makes for the most fertile soil, the garlic in this sauce is harvested in early June and combined with soy sauce from the Kyushu region, mirin, sesame and oyster sauce for a punchy, thick final product. Right upfront you’ll taste salty soy combined with pungent garlic, then notes of sweet, nutty sesame, plus a little bit of acid and funk from the mirin and oyster sauce. Use this delightfully textured sauce as a marinade or dipping sauce for barbecued meats, roasted veggies and tofu; toss with noodles and rice or add for an instant flavor booster to soups.
Natsukashiya Japanese Grape Gummies
Since 1901, Natsukashiya has been producing handcrafted confections in Japan with the same traditional preserving techniques. On a recent trip to Japan, our Milk Street team discovered the unassuming confectionery and some of their naturally sweet bites. Made with real grape juice from grapes grown in the Nagano Prefecture, each of Natsykashiya’s bite-sized jellies start with a crystalline crunch from a fine sugar coating, which gives way to a tender and chewy interior. Crisp and slightly floral with a hint of sourness, the full brightness of the fresh fruit shines through. Unlike other gummies that are artificial, overly sweet and stick to your teeth, even those who don’t crave candy will reach for a second or third of this special treat.
Natsukashiya Japanese Peach Gummies
Since 1901, Natsukashiya has been producing handcrafted confections in Japan with the same traditional preserving techniques. On a recent trip to Japan, our Milk Street team discovered the unassuming confectionery and some of their naturally sweet bites. Made with real white peach juice from peaches grown in the Yamanashi Prefecture, each of Natsykashiya’s bite-sized jellies start with a crystalline crunch from a fine sugar coating, which gives way to a tender and chewy interior. Fresh, with a clear and sweet peach flavor, the full brightness of the fresh fruit shines through. Unlike other gummies that are artificial, overly sweet and stick to your teeth, even those who don’t crave candy will reach for a second or third of this special treat.
Natsukashiya Japanese Yuzu Gummies
Since 1901, Natsukashiya has been producing handcrafted confections in Japan with the same traditional preserving techniques. On a recent trip to Japan, our Milk Street team discovered the unassuming confectionery and some of their naturally sweet treats. Made with real yuzu juice from citrus grown in the Kochi and Tokushima Prefectures, each of Natsukashiya’s bite-sized jellies start with a crystalline crunch from a fine sugar coating, which gives way to a tender and chewy interior. Bold, with a zippy tartness, and a sweet citrus flavor, the full brightness of the fresh fruit shines through. Unlike other gummies that taste artificial and overly sweet or stick to your teeth, even those who don’t crave candy will reach for a second or third of this special treat.
Natsukashiya Japanese Gummies — Set of 3
Since 1901, Natsukashiya has been producing handcrafted confections in Japan with the same traditional preserving techniques. On a recent trip to Japan, our Milk Street team discovered the unassuming confectionery and some of their naturally sweet bites. Made with real fruit juice from produce grown all over Japan, each of Natsykashiya’s bite-sized jellies are tender and chewy with a crystalline crunch from the fine sugar coating. This set of three is complete with yuzu, white peach and grape flavors that are sweet—but not cloying, so the full brightness of the fresh fruit shines through. Unlike other gummies that are artificial, overly sweet and stick to your teeth, even those who don’t crave candy will reach for a second or third helping of this special treat.