Inoue Miso Gozen Nesashi 5-Year Barrel Aged Miso
A staple in the Milk Street pantry, Japanese miso adds intense depth to all types of dishes, even sweet ones. But this one from Inoue in Naruto, Tokushima, is truly the crown jewel. Aged in wooden barrels that have been in existence since the company’s start 147 years ago, the miso is made from domestically produced rice, soybeans and salt, as well as handmade koji (malt).
While most miso typically ages for a few months to a year, Inoue’s gets its deep complexity and robust flavor from aging for a whopping five years. The result? A wonderfully special miso with rich notes of fruit, chocolate, caramel and hints of earth and wood. Use it anywhere that calls for miso—its deep flavor lends itself to applications both savory and sweet. Add to broths, pan sauces, dressings, soups, compound butters and meat marinades, or caramel, brownies, cookies and more. Even non-traditional dishes like bolognese or chili could benefit from the addition of this powerful flavoring agent.
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.
Kankitsu Labo 100% Yuzu Concentrate
If you haven’t yet come across yuzu, this Asian citrus brings together the fragrance of Meyer lemons, the tartness of lime and the bitter crispness of grapefruit. And yuzu is all that’s in Kankitsu Labo’s 100% Yuzu Concentrate. Once it’s harvested in Kawakami, the native Japanese habitat of yuzu, the fruit is pressed on all sides to maximize extraction, flavor and aroma. Sweet like an orange and tart like a lemon, with floral and herbaceous notes, this concentrate lends itself well to baking, cocktails, dressings and more. Use it in place of lemon juice, like on avocado toast, or add a dash to seafood, like when curing fish for ceviche. Even better? There are absolutely no additives, colors, fragrances or preservatives involved.
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.
Flavored Toasted Sesame Seeds (Kimchi & Wasabi)
Adding a punch of flavor and texture, these toasted Japanese sesame seeds are the definition of “good things come in small packages.” Available in Kimchi and Wasabi flavors, this crunchy topping far surpasses your standard toasted sesame seed. Tangy, garlicky and sweet, the Kimchi flavor pairs well with the warm, gentle nuttiness of sesame, while the Wasabi packs a hint of salt and mustard-heat to tickle your palate. Add either flavor just about anywhere, from sauces and stir-fries to noodles, veggies and meat. You may even find yourself popping a handful into your mouth on their own—we certainly have.
Kuze Fuku & Sons Garlic Miso
Combining the umami depth of miso and the sweet bite of garlic, Kuze Fuku & Sons’ Garlic Miso Topping has become a staple ingredient in the Milk Street fridge. A coarse yet spreadable paste, it begins with garlic-forward, savory flavor, followed by sweet and subtly funky notes of miso. Perfectly balanced for more than just Japanese dishes, a first intense hit of flavor mellows out and leaves you craving another bite. Add it to noodles, pizza, pasta dishes, dressings, dips, sandwiches, broths and sauces. Use it as a marinade for meats, fish and vegetables, or mix into butter for an elevated compound butter. Or just slather it on bread. It’s that good.
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.