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.
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.
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.
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.
Kyuemon Awase Dashi-Powdered Soup Stock
Savory, briny and packed with complexity, Kyuemon’s Awase Dashi Powdered Soup Stock is a perfect marriage between sweet and smoky flavor. Naturally made with just four ingredients—a rarity amongst other brands that contain artificial flavoring, preservatives and salt—this blend combines only dried bonito flakes from Kagoshima, dried sardines from Nagasaki, Japanese shiitake mushrooms and kelp from Hokkaido. One small seasoning sachet is all you need to create a clear, traditional Japanese dashi stock or use it to flavor stews, soups, simmered vegetables, pasta and more. We even like the powder on its own as a topping for rice and noodles or mixed into dumpling filling and soy sauce.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.