Sauces

I don’t want you to think that Japanese cooks create all of the sauces for modern Japanese dishes from scratch. In fact, just the opposite is the case. Bottled sauces for the most common dishes are in widespread use, and there is no shame in using them to achieve the right Japanese flavor. Some very simple flavorings are usually made from scratch, such as simmered liquids made from mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and sake, but prepared sauces save the day for Western-style dishes like Yakisoba, Okonomiyaki, Tonkatsu, and Hamburg. Many of these sauces are getting easier to find. The most commonly used sauces are included here.