In Japan, teriyaki refers not to a sauce, but a cooking technique wherein food is grilled or broiled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin (a type of Japanese rice wine) and sugar. In Western cooking, teriyaki has become a catchall term for a range of soy-based sauces and marinades. This barbecue sauce by a Japanese-American grandmother marries the two cultures for a simple, bold sauce.
Bachan's Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce has a concentrated flavor that's ideal for marinating meat or thickening with starch for a glaze, but it's also well-rounded and complex enough on its own to drizzle over rice, noodles or even dumplings. As a cooking ingredient, the sauce enhances the natural caramelization that occurs when browning onions, grilling peppers or searing meat.