Organic Teriyaki Soy Sauce

Teriyaki sauce is one of the star condiments of Japanese cuisine that is most widely accepted in the West. Although the name is always related to the sauce, the name is due to a gastronomic technique, where foods are spread with teriyaki sauce and then grilled.

Teriyaki sauce is used to add a sweet and umami touch to any dish. It is a great flavor enhancer. Dishes seasoned with teriyaki sauce are characterized by their shine and caramel tone. In fact, its name means this, “teri”, which translates as “shiny”, because of the shine that the sauce gives it, and “yaki”, refers to the method of cooking it, which is roasting.

Even though it is one of the best-known Japanese sauces, there are hypotheses that suggest that the origin of the sauce is outside of Japan, with a history similar to the California roll or Nikkei cuisine; It is believed that it was invented by the first Japanese immigrants who settled in Hawaii who mixed soy sauce and sake with local ingredients that provided sweetness, creaminess and shine to the food. One of the most successful versions was with pineapple juice, but for it to be called teriyaki sauce it must have soy sauce and mirin, which is a sweet sake. Remember that sake and especially mirin are used to provide sweetness and enhance the flavor of dishes. The final flavor of the sauce will vary depending on the other ingredients used and their proportions.

The sauce is generally used to marinate meats, poultry, vegetables and fish before grilling. It is even used for wok noodles. The best-known dish is surely teriyaki chicken, where this sauce is used in great abundance, impregnating the chicken well before cooking, rather than painting it, it is immersed in the sauce and left to marinate for about 30 minutes. Then it is roasted with the sauce. It is not necessary to add any vegetable oil as the sauce itself prevents the food from sticking. If we want the dish to have more intensity, it is advisable to continue adding sauce (with a brush) while it finishes grilling, or even add a final coat once taken off the grill, where we can also add ginger and chives as a garnish.

Its use as a sauce has crossed all borders and we can find it in well-known pizza or hamburger chains, using it as a sweet barbecue sauce.