A Guide to Cooking with Japanese Ingredients & Where to Find Them!
A guide to cooking with japanese ingredients (and where to find them)
If you’ve ever wandered through an Asian market and felt overwhelmed by the sauces, bottles, and unfamiliar labels—don’t worry, I’ve been there too. My family uses the Japanese pronunciation for a lot of ingredients, so I put together this simple glossary to help decode some of the most common pantry staples in Japanese cooking.
Once you get the hang of these, you’ll be able to add tons of flavor to your everyday meals—and your fridge will be stocked like a pro. The best part? Most of these ingredients are available at well-stocked grocery stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts, and even Target. But if you have access to an Asian market, that’s where the fun really begins.
Shoyu = Soy sauce: Shoyu is the backbone of Japanese cooking. It’s salty, savory, and full of umami goodness. My go-to brand is Kikkoman, specifically the less sodium version—you’ll recognize it by the green cap. It’s well-balanced and great for general purpose cooking or to dip your sushi in.The red cap version is the regular, full-sodium soy sauce, which honestly I don’t use much. Kikkoman is going to be the brand you’re most likely to find at a non-Asian specific market.
Kikkoman Soy Sauce & Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce
Usukuchi Shoyu (Light Soy Sauce): Not to be confused with low sodium soy sauce, Usukuchi is my go to for cooking. I mention this type of soy sauce in 90% of my recipes and highly recommend you invest in some!
It’s perfect for all Asian styles of cooking and seasoning. The name can be confusing, while lighter and thinner in color and texture - it has a stronger, salty flavor with a slight sweetness and more acidity than regular soy sauce listed above.
Usukuchi Shoyu
Tamari: Tamari and shoyu (while similar in taste profile) are created through a different process. The process through which Tamari is created yields a gluten-free alternative. Note, it does create a slightly different taste than regular soy sauce. I do recommend checking the ingredients for the presence of wheat!
Tip: After opening the shoyu that you are using, store it in the refrigerator as the taste can change as it sits out.
Where to Buy: Regular soy sauce can be found at your regular grocery store as well as Tamari. For Usukuchi, you’ll need to visit your local Asian market.
Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is a mild, slightly sweet vinegar that adds brightness to dishes without overpowering them. You might see it labeled as rice wine vinegar—they’re the same thing! I always keep Marukan Seasoned Rice Vinegar in my pantry and I’m constantly restocking it. The seasoned version already has a bit of sugar and salt, making it perfect for salad dressings or seasoning sushi rice.
Where to Buy: This is widely available at grocery stores. For bigger bottles or unseasoned varieties - head to your local Asian market.
Mirin: Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking rice wine. Unlike rice vinegar, it’s not tangy—it’s closer to a sweetened, low-alcohol version of sake. Mirin adds a subtle sweetness and sheen to sauces like teriyaki, and it’s my secret weapon in any broth-based soup or soy-based marinade.
Mirin is the perfect pairing with soy sauce and often creates some of our most beloved Japanese broths (think udon).
Where to Buy: Look for Aji-Mirin or Hon Mirin (the real kind). Some grocery versions are flavored corn syrup - so be sure to check the ingredients. While you can potentially find this at a regular grocery store, I recommend your local Asian market or online retailers.
Miso: Miso is a fermented soybean paste that brings rich umami depth to everything it touches. It’s salty, slightly sweet, and earthy—basically the backbone of many Japanese soups, sauces, and marinades. There are several varieties, but the most common are white (shiro), yellow (shinshu), and red (aka) miso. White is mild and slightly sweet, red is bolder and more fermented, and yellow lands somewhere in between.
Tip: There are so many different kinds of miso pastes out there, I recommend trying a white or yellow type first (these are common in many of my recipes). And, taste a tiny bit first! You’ll learn what flavor profile you like after tasting a few. My go-to brand is Marukome Boy.
How to use it:
Whisk it into miso soup (obviously), blend it into salad dressings, slather it on eggplant or salmon before roasting, or mix it into butter for a savory spread that tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant.
Storage tip:
It lasts forever in the fridge—okay, not forever, but close. Just keep it sealed and cool, and you’ll be good to go for months.
Where to Buy:
You may be able to find fairly basic versions at your local grocery store but I recommend purchasing from your local Asian market.
Furikake = Japanese Rice Seasoning: Think of furikake as rice sprinkles—yes, seriously. Growing up, we always had a bottle of furikake somewhere in the kitchen. It’s a flavorful dry seasoning blend made with ingredients like:
Dried fish flakes
Sesame seeds
Nori (dried seaweed)
Sugar, salt, and MSG
Sometimes dried shiso, salmon, or ume (pickled plum)
While it’s most often used to season steamed rice, furikake is way more versatile than people give it credit for. I love sprinkling it on:
Furikake Chex Mix (yes, I’ve got a recipe for that too)
Where to buy: Asian markets, Amazon, or even some regular grocery stores with international sections.
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: These are one of the best pantry ingredients for a major umami boost. I always have a bag on hand in case I can’t find fresh mushrooms.
To use dried shiitakes:
Soak 4–5 mushrooms in hot water for about 15–20 minutes.
Once softened, gently squeeze out the water (don’t toss it—it’s liquid gold!).
Cut off the stems and use the caps in your dish.
I use these in:
Soup bases
Fried rice
Dumpling fillings
Stir-fries
As a topping for ramen or miso soup
Vegetarian gravies (a non-drip version is coming to the blog!)
Pro tip: Save the soaking liquid to enhance broths, sauces, or even rice.
If you’re new to cooking with Japanese ingredients, don’t feel like you need to buy everything at once. Start with shoyu, rice vinegar, and mirin—those three alone will elevate your stir-fries, dressings, and marinades in no time.
Once you’re ready for more Japanese ingredients, read on for tips on wasabi, togarashi, kombu & kewpie mayo! While you can usually find sesame oil and wasabi at your regular grocery store, for the other ingredients listed here, you’ll likely need to visit your local Asian market!
Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil is a fragrant finisher for dressings, stir-fries, and noodles. Many of my Asian veggie recipes and Asian-inspired salads use sesame oil vs. EVOO or canola oil as their base. Once you start with a basic sesame oil, experiment with different brands to find your favorite!
Bonito Flakes: Ready to make soups and dashi? Bonito flakes or Katsuobushi are essential for creating a smoky dashi broth as the base of your soups. For beginners, you’ll look for Katsuobushi flakes at your local Asian market.
Kombu - Kombu is thick dried seaweed used as a foundational ingredient in Japanese cooking. It’s essential for making dashi, the umami-packed broth that’s the base for miso soup, noodle soups, and more.
To use it:
Soak it in water and bring it to a gentle boil with bonito flakes to create dashi.
Place a piece on top of your rice before cooking to infuse it with extra flavor.
You can also simmer it to make kombu tsukudani (seasoned kelp side dish).
Japanese Salts & Seasonings:
Umami Salt: Umami salt is a blend of sea salt and savory enhancers like kombu (kelp), dried mushrooms, or bonito flakes. Think of it as an instant flavor boost for anything that feels a little flat.
Yuzu Kosho: Yuzu kosho isn’t technically a salt, but it’s a fermented paste made with yuzu zest, chili peppers, and salt—so it’s salty and spicy with a citrusy punch.
Yuzu Salt: A simple blend of dried yuzu peel and sea salt that adds a citrusy zing to anything it touches.
Togarashi: This is Japanese seven spice that I top so many different dishes with (rice, ramen, shoyu eggs, grilled meats, spam musubis and even popcorn! It’s a blend of:
Ground red chili pepper
Sesame seeds (white & black)
Dried seaweed
Dried citrus peel
Ginger
Sansho (Japanese pepper)
Wasabi - A pungent green paste made from Japanese horseradish. The wasabi you find in most stores and sushi spots is usually not “true” wasabi but a horseradish blend. If you ever get a chance to try fresh wasabi grated straight from the root, don’t pass it up—it’s a game changer.
Tube wasabi is mild and convenient.
Powdered wasabi is punchier and great for that extra kick.
Tip: Mix in some wasabi with mayonnaise and a splash of shoyu for the ultimate veggie dressing or addition to your burgers!
Kewpie mayo - The queen of Japanese condiments. Kewpie mayo is smoother, richer, and more savory than American mayo as it’s made only with the yolks vs American style that’s made with the whole egg. Made with rice vinegar and sometimes a touch of dashi powder, it’s absolutely addicting.
I love mixing Kewpie with:
Shoyu for a nostalgic veggie dip (hello, boiled broccoli!)
Wasabi for a spicy spread - for a shortcut version, this is a go-to in our household!
As a dressing base or sandwich spread
Chicken katsu sandwiches