Namikura Kyoto-Style White Miso
Savory, sweet and flavor-dense, white miso is an absolutely essential pantry item. Winey-sweet, buttery and deeply rich, this organic version from Japanese family producer Namikura Miso Co. is more complex and less salty than other brands, which means it can be used more freely with soy sauce without dishes tasting overly seasoned.
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.
Nitto Jozo White Tamari
Note that while tamari is often used as a term for gluten-free soy sauce, Nitto Jozo’s White Tamari is actually all wheat-based. (In Japan, tamari simply refers to a liquid that is pressed out of another substance—in this case, wheat.) This sauce is malty-sweet and slightly tangy, a great choice for those who want the umami flavor of soy sauce with less saltiness.
Black Garlic Molasses
This inky black, syrupy “molasses” is made from concentrated black garlic, which is garlic fermented long enough to render the cloves tender, mellow, earthy-sweet and utterly addictive. It's reminiscent of concentrated balsamic vinegar, without the acidic tang.
Yakami Orchard Yuzu Marmalade
Juicy, flavorful and wonderfully textured Yakami Orchards Yuzu Marmalade is made with fresh, local yuzu from a collective of family farms in Japan’s Miyazaki prefecture. Balanced out with honey and sugar, this yuzu marmalade is bright, tart and warmly sweet with every bite. Just by opening a jar of Yakami Orchards’ product, you’ll be able to smell the bright and subtly floral aroma of yuzu. We love the plentiful chunks of yuzu rind, which are thinly sliced and add texture without making the marmalade clumpy. The yuzu pieces contribute a pop of piney bitterness that is a pleasant counterbalance for the overall sweet spread.
Sukoyaka Brown Genmai Rice
If you are tired of tasteless white rice, let me introduce you to Genmai Rice. When I first tasted genmai two years ago, my first thought was that this rice was a miracle—it cooks quickly, just like white rice, but has the rich, earthy flavor and satisfying chewiness of great brown rice. Once you taste Sukoyaka Genmai, you will never go back. How is this possible? It is an American-grown short-grain brown rice that has had a portion of the outer bran layer is scrubbed away, allowing the grains to hydrate faster while retaining most of their nutritional properties. The nutty, earthy-tasting grains are distinct and just a touch sticky, making the rice perfect for accompanying stir-fries, curries, soups and stews, although I make it two or three times a week as a starter, for any sort of topping from steamed vegetables to quickly grilled chicken or steak. Matt, Card, our food editor, also swears by it for fried rice. He keeps a batch frozen in the freezer for a quick batch: Just defrost on the countertop, and it's ready to go for a virtually instant meal. Buy as much as you can afford, since genmai will become your go-to rice after the first bite.
Maruhon Lightly Toasted Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is an essential ingredient in East Asian cuisine for adding aromatic depth, but too often it can be cloying and overpowering. We tasted numerous versions and especially like Maruhon Lightly Toasted Sesame Oil made by Takemoto Oil & Fat Company, the oldest operating oil-extracting company in Japan, which traces its roots to 1725. Maruhon Lightly Toasted Sesame Oil has a far more delicate, nuanced flavor than supermarket versions and tastes distinctly of sesame, unlike the generic nuttiness of some mass-produced versions. This producer uses a chemical-free extraction process, which is not only healthier but also yields a cleaner taste that doesn’t overpower light dishes but stands up to heavier ones. The oil adds just the right amount of nutty richness and is much more aromatic than others we've tried.
Hanamaruki Foods Liquid Shio Koji
A traditional condiment made from fermented malted rice, shio koji is known in Japan for packing a punch of umami into everything from marinated meats to savory soups. All shio kojis aren’t created equal, though, for Hanamaruki Foods distills the powerful flavor properties of this essential Japanese ingredient into an easy-to-use liquid form—the only Liquid Shio Koji available on the market—to create the ultimate pantry secret weapon. We love the condiment’s clean, yet bold flavor: salty rounded out with a pronounced sweetness and burst of umami. It’s made by pressing shio koji in its original paste form and filtering until it yields the clear, golden-hued liquid. The product isn’t heat-treated, so its enzymes remain active and effective in rendering meat remarkably moist and juicy, balancing bitterness in veggies like eggplant and adding amino acids for a full-flavored finish to any dish to truly change the way you cook. Use as a marinade for meats and fish, drizzle into salad dressings and sauces to balance savory flavors, or incorporate into baked goods to add a layer of tantalizing complexity.
Morita Mirin-Type Condiment
Pale gold and lightly sweet, this mirin-type condiment is a staple in Japanese pantries for bringing a hint of umami to broths and more. Compared to other mirins you can find in the store, this has much more character and nuance, while supermarket versions can skew heavy, syrupy and astringent. This one has the gentle sweetness and complexity of fermented rice that we want without tipping into syrupy, with a hint of salt that doesn’t overpower the slightly savory and sweet character of the fermented rice base. If you can’t have the real-deal hon mirin, mirin-type condiments are great alternatives, and this is one of the best we’ve tried.
Marukin Koikuchi 40% Reduced Salt Soy Sauce
Most low-sodium soy sauces lack flavor or complexity, but this premium product from Marukin packs a ton of rich umami flavor with half the salt. Established in 1907, Marukin is one of only 1% of Japanese soy sauce producers that maintain traditional production methods from the past century. Their low-sodium sauce is made from the same ingredients as regular soy sauce and is fermented in cedar barrels over a hundred years old; the natural bacteria and yeast that live on the barrels and in the air slowly ferment the soybeans into this naturally sweet, malty and complex sauce. It's the perfect substitute for regular soy sauce for anyone who is looking to reduce their sodium intake without sacrificing flavor. Add this reduced sodium soy sauce to any number of dishes, marinades and sauces.
Sennari Vinegar Brewery Organic Rice Vinegar
Made from only two ingredients—organic rice and water from the mountains of Northern Hiroshima—this organic rice vinegar is a cut above standard supermarket varieties. Slightly sweeter, with a rounder flavor and more umami notes than most rice vinegars, its subtle acidity offers a much more balanced outcome, so no bitterness or harshness comes through. Sennari, a brewery established in Japan in 1927, uses a traditional static fermentation process to produce their vinegars. Koji, a natural fermentation culture, is combined with steamed organic rice and nearby mountain water featuring a soft PH of 7. The combination ferments and develops naturally over the course of six months, resulting in a rice vinegar with a more mild acidity and elevated taste. Conventional mass produced vinegar is usually made in just one week using an automatic fermentation method, the result of which we found lacking in taste.
Shimanohikari Handmade Somen Noodles
Mild, delicate and nutty, these handmade somen noodles from Shimanohikari cook up tender and smooth to pair perfectly with bold flavorful broths, sauces and more. Thin and long, they come in individual bundles for easy portioning, require little time to boil and take on a pleasant chew when cooked. Over a two day process, the noodles are handmade from high quality wheat flour, local sea salt and sesame oil, unlike other brands that simply use flour, water and oil. They are then sun-dried for a light and flavorful result. Use in stir-fries, soups, stews, chilled noodle dishes and more.
Hakata Salt Moshio Saredoshio (Japanese Seaweed Salt)
Made from seawater and seaweed straight from the Seto Inland Sea, Hakata Salt’s Moshio “Saredoshio,” or Japanese seaweed salt, brings a distinct complexity that enhances the flavor of typical sea salt. It’s made using a traditional method, in which Hondawara variety seaweed is soaked in seawater, naturally thickened in salt fields under the sun, then boiled down into a fine, easily dissolvable salt. The minimal yet time-intensive process helps preserve each complex mineral, adding even more impact to the flavor of what is dried and harvested off of the seaweed. The salt imparts a combination of delicate bitterness and a punch of briny umami that clings to food nicely; use it to finish grilled fish, karaage (Japanese fried chicken), tofu and carpaccio, or add it to soup, pickles and sushi. Mix into dressings and marinades to boost savoriness, or sprinkle it over ice cream, cookies or muffins if you’re feeling extra adventurous.
Naogen Crystalized Shoyu
Made from freeze-dried soy sauce from Japan’s Naogen Brewery, this unique Crystallized Shoyu contains one-sixth the amount of sodium of table salt, while still adding a kick of salinity to anything. The flaky crystals melt on the tongue, leaving behind a lovely tasting shoyu: rich, not too salty and a little sweet and earthy, like chocolate. The shoyu is brewed from buttery Enrei soy beans, sea salt and Hakusan Mountain spring water; once freeze-dried into airy flakes, the aromatic crystals add a pleasant kick of saltiness to sushi, grilled meat, soups and stews, toast, tempura, eggs, pasta and vegetables. And because the flakes have a mild sweetness behind their savory flavor, they pair beautifully with dessert: Use a pinch to finish blondies, cookies and ice cream, or anywhere you would use a hit of flaky sea salt. The crystallized shoyu adds extra dimension beyond the salinity of plain salt.
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.
Nihonichi Yaki Senka Grill Sauce
Produced in Japan by a revered shoyu manufacturer that traces its roots back to the 1700s, Nihonichi’s “Japan’s Best” Yaki Senka Grill Sauce offers a unique gingery profile that’s salty-sweet and carries a kick. Exclusive in the U.S. to Milk Street, it features a base of Nihonichi’s natural brewed soy sauce made in wooden vats, mixed with miso and garlic, then offset by sweet apple juice and ginger zest. Sweet and fruity, balanced by the salinity of rich soy and savory miso, use this gently spicy sauce to marinate fish, glaze grilled meats and tofu, toss into stir-fries, noodles, vegetables and more. It’s also great as a dipping sauce or thinned out in a dressing.
Nihonichi Umami Soy Sauce Seasoning
An ingenious blend of dried soy sauce, salt, pepper, garlic and an array of spices, this versatile seasoning amplifies the flavors of meats, fish and vegetables. We reach for it when we want the hit of salt and savoriness that soy sauce provides, without adding a wet ingredient to a dish. Produced in Japan by a revered shoyu manufacturer that traces its roots back to the 1700s, the seasoning starts with a soy sauce base, but its bright salinity is balanced with warm spices like paprika and turmeric. The overall effect is pleasantly salty, with tangy, peppery and vegetal notes. Try it to elevate French fries and popcorn, to enrich sauces, flavor steaks and short ribs, season crispy tofu or bring depth to fried dishes. The bottle’s compact size means you can easily take it on the go, ideal for barbecues, picnics, camping meals and even lunch boxes.