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.
Yusaido “Sei-agri Egg” Japanese Mayonnaise
If mayo is your go-to condiment, you have to try this Japanese version. Japanese mayo is famous for being extra rich, ultra decadent and flavorful, since it uses just egg yolks and not the entire egg unlike the majority of American mayonnaises. Even the eggs themselves in this particular brand of Japanese mayo are special: They’re sei-agri eggs, which come from chickens hand-fed a special vegetarian diet to yield better flavor. A little apple cider vinegar brings brightness, while mustard brings balance. And a vacuum-sealed pot is used during the mayo’s emulsification process to further preserve the complex flavor. Plus, it contains no additives like other brands—just bold taste and creamy texture.
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.
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.
Kito Yuzu Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Kito district of Tokushima Prefecture is known as the birthplace of yuzu trees in Japan, so it’s only fitting that Ogon no Mura Co., Ltd’s Yuzu Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made from fresh yuzu picked in the region. It’s why the brand’s name also translates to “a village shining with the gold of ripened yuzu fruit.” Locally grown without chemicals or pesticides and certified with a Geographical Indication, the bright Asian citrus fruit is pressed for oil within 24 hours after harvesting to capture the freshest flavor. This oil is then paired with mild, smooth Taggiasca Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sourced from Liguria, Italy, for a flavorful and bright final product that expertly balances sour and sweet notes. With an aroma that falls between a mandarin orange and a Meyer lemon, it leaves behind a hint of fruitiness and pleasant richness on anything it’s drizzled over. Use to dip bread or for finishing crudo, ceviche, soups, noodles, salads and more.
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 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.
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.
Yamashin Ginger Shiro Dashi – Concentrated Soup Base
For over 200 years, Yamashin Jyouzou has been creating exceptional soy sauce, featured prominently in their Ginger Shirodashi Concentrated Soup Base. The rich, umami-packed base of salty bonito stock and savory white soy sauce are accented with a bright zing of fresh ginger. A common broth base or seasoning in Japan, this shirodashi is ideal for enhancing broths, seasoning rice, drizzling over tofu and more with its refreshing ginger spice and complex depth.
Yamashin Tosa Bonito Shoyu
Yamashin Tosa Shoyu, a unique dashi shoyu from Japan, offers a remarkable smoky-sweet flavor profile. A combination of deep, rich bonito (katasubushi) stock from Tosa, Kochi Prefecture—free of added sugars, yet naturally sweet—and soy sauce, the result is smoky, salty and umami-rich. A flavorful stand-in for regular soy sauce, it's ideal for enhancing fish, sushi, soup, eggs and more.
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 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.
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 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.