Sauces for Flavouring and Dipping

Appears in
The Japanese Cookbook

By Emi Kazuko and Yasuko Fukuoka

Published 2024

  • About
Shoyu and miso are the two oldest and most important flavouring sauces in Japanese cooking. Although their strong, distinctive flavours means they are used more as condiments for dipping or as flavouring for cooking, rather than as a sauce for coating food. The two also have a preservative quality and are good for marinating raw fish, meat and vegetables.

The Japanese have also developed ready-mixed sauces for certain popular dishes such as sukiyaki and yakiniku (barbecue), as well as Japanese vinegar and mirin, both made from rice.