How to Use Japanese Seasoning

Contents hide

1 Types of Japanese seasoning

1.1 Ajinomoto

1.2 Mirin

1.3 Shichimi Togarashi

1.4 Rayu (Japanese chili oil)

1.5 Yuzu pepper

1.6 Sansho pepper

2 Don't miss our products!

Japanese Food
Last ModifiedFebruary 28, 2025
seasoning

Nowadays, the popularity of Japanese cuisine is growing worldwide. Soy sauce, Miso, Dashi soup are very popular and known well as Japanese seasoning around the world. But there are some more Japanese seasoning which is not popular even though they are necessary for Japanese cuisine. You will find those seasoning and how to use them in this article.

Types of Japanese seasoning

Ajinomoto

Ajinomoto is the purest form of umami substance, which provide the fifth taste, altogether different from sweet, salty, sour and bitter. AJI-NO-MOTO^® is widely used to intensify and enhance flavors in sauces, broths, soups and many other foods.

Example of use : Any food when you want to add Umami
Representative Brands : Ajinomoto

Mirin

Sweet cooking rice wine with a mild alcoholic content. It is usually used to tenderize meat and reduce odors and help foods contain more Umami.

Example of use : Nikujaga(Japanese meat and potato stew), Chicken-Teriyaki
Representative Brands : Mizkan

Shichimi Togarashi

It is Japanese spice which is made of 7 types of spice. The most common ingredients are red chili pepper, orange peel, black sesame, white sesame, ginger, hemp seed, and nori.

Example of use : Any food when you want to add spicy flavor, Mix with mayonnaise for dipping sauce
Representative Brands : Chiyoda, S&B

Rayu (Japanese chili oil)

It is Japanese chili oil which is made of sesame oil, chili pepper and other spices. It adds a wonderful kick of heat and flavor to various dishes, and is a popular dipper.

Example of use : Dipping sauce for Gyoza, Put a little bit in Ramen soup to add spicy flavor
Representative Brands : Ajinomoto, S&B

Taberu Rayu (Edible chili oil)

This is usually used for friend of rice rather than seasoning. It is made of some spices, oils, fried-garlic, fried-onion and so on. The taste is quite similar to Rayu and it matches white rice very well.

Yuzu pepper

It is a Japanese seasoning which is made of yuzu peel, salt, chili peppers. Yuzu pepper has a well-rounded flavor profile. The cutting citrus notes are offset with a bold kick from chili peppers. A little bit of sea salt harmonizes the two ingredients and is also the key ingredient in the fermentation process.

Example of use : Put a little bit on Oden(Japanese fish soup stew), Any stir-frying
Representative Brands : S&B

Sansho pepper

It is known as Japanese pepper or Zanthoxylum piperitum. It is a traditional Japanese spice commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It comes from the prickly ash tree, native to Japan and East Asia, and is closely related to Sichuan pepper. Sansho has a distinctive citrusy, tangy aroma and a numbing, tingling sensation similar to Sichuan pepper but milder.

Example of use : Unagi(Grilled-eel), Gyutan(Beef Tongue), Yakitori(Grilled chicken skewers)
Representative Brands : S&B

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How to Use Japanese Seasoning