Buy these five seasonings first. Learn what to use if your store lacks one.
What You'll Learn
You will learn the five seasonings to buy first. You will learn swaps from a normal supermarket. You will learn the labels to avoid.
Start with five bottles
You do not need a full pantry. Five seasonings cover most Japanese home cooking. Buy these first, then add more later.
- Soy sauce (koikuchi). Any Japanese brand works.
- Mirin. Look for hon-mirin, about 14% alcohol.
- Sake. Cheap drinking sake with no added salt.
- Miso. A white or mixed miso is the easiest start.
- Rice vinegar. Mild and a little sweet.
If your store does not have it
Most of these swaps come from a normal supermarket.
- No hon-mirin: sake plus a little sugar.
- No sake: dry sherry, the same amount.
- No rice vinegar: apple cider vinegar, a little less.
- No Japanese soy sauce: tamari or a brewed soy sauce.
- No dashi: instant granules are fine on busy days.
- No miso: order it online. Nothing else tastes the same.
Two labels to watch
Mirin-like seasoning has almost no alcohol. Cooking sake often has added salt. Both change your dish, so read the label.
Put the five bottles in one row. Taste a drop of each. You will know them faster than any chart.
Add these next
- Instant dashi or kombu, for soups.
- Usukuchi soy sauce, for pale soups. It is saltier, not milder.
- Tamari, if you need a gluten-free soy sauce.
Add them in the right order
Sugar and mirin go in before salt and soy sauce. Miso goes in last, off the heat. The rhyme sa-shi-su-se-so helps you remember.
Questions
Is mirin the same as rice vinegar?
No. Mirin is a sweet rice wine. Rice vinegar is sour. Never swap one for the other.
Should I keep soy sauce in the fridge?
After opening, yes. It keeps its color and smell longer. It will not go bad fast at room temperature.
What miso should I buy first?
Start with a white or mixed miso. It is mild and works in most soups. Try red miso later.
Can I use regular soy sauce instead of usukuchi?
Yes. Use a little less and add a pinch of salt. The dish will be darker.
The rhyme sa-shi-su-se-so lists five seasonings. It also tells you the order to add them.
Buy small bottles first. Mirin and sake lose their smell after a few months open.
