Sauces
- Soy Sauce- a salty, thin sauce made out of fermented soybeans, used to add saltiness to any dish
- Cooking Sake- a type of sake, alcoholic drink made from fermented rice, meant to be used in marinades and sauces
- Cooking Mirin- a sweet and salty cooking wine, also great in sauces
- Sesame Oil- a strong sesame flavored oil with a low smoking temperature (I love this stuff. You can drizzle a little bit on top of almost anything!)
- Rice vinegar- a mildly acidic vinegar, great in dressings (especially with sesame oil)
- Ponzu- a dark brown sauce with citrus and soy flavors
Other Ingredients
- Short-grain rice- a variety of rice with almost round grains that stick together when cooked. (We all know what rice is, correct?!)
- Miso paste- a salty paste made of fermented soybeans that is used in marinades, and most commonly to make miso soup.
- Kombu- dried kelp with a sea taste, used to make dashi
- Tofu- made out of bean curd, and has a neutral flavor. Tofu is a great source of protein for vegetarians.
- Wasabi- otherwise known as Japanese horseradish, has a spicy flavor and is often used as a condiment.
- Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)- Bonito is a type of tuna, that is dried, shaved into flakes and then used as a condiment.
- Green Tea- dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis, often with puffed rice, a mild type of tea