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.
Ohsawa Brown Rice Vinegar
The nutty, rounded flavor of this vinegar comes from the whole-grain brown rice that is used to make it. Following the Ohsawa Company’s principles of whole, natural foods—founder George Ohsawa revived the modern macrobiotic food movement in the 1960s—the Uchibori family producer that makes this vinegar adheres to a thousand-year-old tradition of aging the vinegar outdoors in earthenware crocks for over 12 months. Highlight the slight nuttiness of Ohsawa Brown Rice Vinegar in quick pickles, like our Japanese-Style Salt-Pickled Radish and Red Onion, or pair it with the sesame and peanut flavors in our Smashed Cucumber Salad. Try a splash on your avocado toast, or if you like rice bowls, season the rice with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar; top with blanched spinach, smoked salmon or trout, and a few toasted sesame seeds or shichimi togarashi, the Japanese chili pepper blend.
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.
Ito Shoten 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). The distinct tamari from Ito Shoten—based in the Aichi Prefecture, a region of Japan known for deeply rich, uncommonly dark miso—is so complex it’s no wonder it has been likened to a wine. Aged in cedar barrels that are over 100 years old, Ito Shoten’s tamari develops a dark, almost inky color, as well as a wine-like depth and body. Its heady, malty aroma promises plenty of meaty savoriness, as well as caramel notes, deep umami and a lively salinity. This tamari is one to treasure: use it raw in small quantities to finish dishes where its flavor will shine, almost like a soy extract rather than a condiment. Its complexities get lost when it’s cooked into a sauce or dish.
Yuasa Ki-ippan Kuromame Shoyu
Made from premium black soybeans and aged in cedar barrels for over two years, this Ki-ippan Kuromame Shoyu is thick and rich in flavor—full of funk, earthiness and a bit of sweetness. Crafted by fifth-generation Japanese company Yuasa Soyu Sauce Co. in Yuasa—a traditional brewing city that’s like a living soy sauce museum—it has won the Grand Gold Medal at the Monde Selection for 10 consecutive years. The deep umami and sweet notes that make this shoyu stand out come from the premium black soybeans, sourced from Tanba in Hyogo Prefecture. Known also as “Kuromame,” they have a black skin and white interior, and contain a distinctive taste. Use this anywhere you would soy sauce, from dumplings to meat to noodles, or in marinades, dipping sauces and salad dressings.
Suehiro Double Brewed Soy Sauce
Since 1879, Suehiro has used the same traditional methods to make their small-batch soy sauces in Japan’s Tatsuno City, Hyogo Prefecture. We were especially wowed by their Double-Brewed Soy Sauce, or Saishikomi, which is deeply layered in comparison to any run-of-the-mill grocery version. Unlike most on the market, this soy is brewed not once but twice, first delicately with soybeans, wheat, salt, water and koji. Then, the mixture is brewed again, this time without salt or water, yielding an earthy, rich and viscous soy sauce that stands apart. It’s salty, but less so than other brands, with funky, coffee-like notes that round out into a dark, almost burnt caramelly sweetness. Use it anywhere you would soy sauce, but we love it most served simply with dishes that have few ingredients, like hand rolls and sashimi.
Kuki Hojun (Full Bodied) Sesame Oil
Incredibly fragrant and full-bodied, this rich sesame oil is better than any supermarket brand we’ve tried. The warm, nutty oil offers the best of both worlds: The flavor reminds us of a darker toasted sesame oil, but unlike those—which tend to be limited to finishing due to the low smoke point—it can be used for cooking, like that of a lighter sesame oil. Kuki’s oil gets its rich, dark, deep flavor from the highest-quality sesame seeds, which are slow-pressed using traditional methods without the use of any chemicals (often added to mass-produced brands to speed up extraction). The whole process takes roughly 1.5 months, but it’s worth it—this sesame oil is unlike any other we’ve tasted. Try the oil as a finish for stir-fries, soups or noodles; mixed into marinades dressings or as a cooking oil.
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.
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