Mentsuyu (Japanese Noodle Sauce)

Whether you're dipping chilled summer somen noodles, zaru soba, or slurping a bowl of steaming hot udon soup, mentsuyu (麺汁) is at the heart of most Japanese noodles. To simplify things, I like to make a concentrated Japanese soup base that stays fresh for months, ready to quickly season everything from dipping sauces and soups to hearty donburi (rice bowls). While I live in Tokyo, my culinary sensibilities are rooted in the Kansai region (Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe), where lighter broths highlight the subtle depth and umami of dashi rather than soy sauce. Here's why my versatile mentsuyu recipe will quickly become a staple in your pantry!

Why This Recipe Works

• Flavorful Stock - At the heart of most Japanese dishes is a rich, umami-packed dashi broth made from kombu and katsuobushi. While you can use instant dashi powder or make your own dashi from scratch, I prefer the convenience and depth of flavor of dashi packs. These handy tea bags contain all the dried ingredients you'd typically use, simplifying the process without sacrificing flavor.
• Focus on Dashi - Some regions in Japan lean heavily on soy sauce, but I prefer to highlight the delicate, savory Japanese flavor of dashi. To achieve a lighter, more balanced soup base, I season my tsuyu sauce with usukuchi soy sauce, which keeps the focus on the quality of the broth and compliments the smoky katsuobushi and briny kombu.
• Versatile - By preparing a concentrated noodle sauce, you create a versatile seasoning that can boost the flavor of dishes like Japanese beef bowls or meat and potato stew when used straight. Diluted, it transforms effortlessly into a dipping sauce for chilled soba noodles or a comforting broth for hot noodle soups.

Ingredients

• Usukuchi Soy Sauce - I prefer using this lighter-colored soy sauce because it provides clarity and balanced saltiness. You can find it at Japanese grocery stores, but regular (koikuchi) soy sauce works fine in a pinch. You'll just want to halve the amount and add table salt to compensate.
• Sake - The fermentation process used to make sake creates a wealth of umami-rich amino acids, making it great for cooking. I recommend using a basic drinking sake rather than "cooking sake," which often contains salt, preservatives, and other unnecessary additives. Real brewed mirin can also be used, but you'll need to decrease the sugar in this recipe. For more tips, check out my guide on choosing sake for cooking.
• Sugar - Adding sweetness rounds out the mouthfeel of your sauce. I particularly like evaporated cane sugar, which brings subtle caramel notes and a mellow sweetness to this mentsuyu sauce.
• Dashi - Pre-blended dashi packs, made from katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and kombu (kelp), quickly deliver deep umami flavor. Brands like Kayanoya provide a clean, smoky depth and are readily available in the US.

How to Make Mentsuyu

Boil and Extract

• Add the usukuchi soy, sake, sugar, and a dashi pack to a small pot.
• Heat to boiling and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, allowing the dashi pack to release free glutamates.

Cool and Bottle

• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Squeeze out the dashi pack and discard.
• Store in a clean bottle in the refrigerator to prolong its quality. This mentsuyu recipe is good for several months in the fridge.

💡TIP: Use an ice bath to cool it quickly if you're in a rush.

Use Mentsuyu For

The beauty of mentsuyu lies in its incredible versatility. It's a kitchen chameleon that adapts effortlessly to almost any Japanese dish that calls for soy sauce and dashi. For a refreshing zaru soba or somen noodle dipping sauce, I typically dilute this with about 3 to 4 parts cold water for every 1 part of tsuyu sauce. When preparing hearty noodle soups such as kitsune udon or beef udon, thin it out further with around 10 to 11 parts water per 1 part mentsuyu to create a broth that beautifully complements both the toppings and noodles. Beyond noodles, mentsuyu also works as an all-purpose Japanese seasoning, replacing less complex condiments. I love splashing it into stir-fries as a one stop seasoning, adding it to sauces for savory depth, or incorporating it into stews and rice bowls like my comforting chicken and egg Oyakodon. You can even use it as a tempura dipping sauce by diluting it to taste.

📖 Recipe

Mentsuyu (Japanese Noodle Sauce)

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time 1 minute min

Cook Time 4 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Yield 10 servings

Equipment

small stainless saucepan

Squeeze Bottle

Units

Grams + US CupsUS Standard

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ¾ cup usukuchi soy sauce
• ½ cup sake
• 1 tablespoon evaporated cane sugar
• 1 dashi pack

Instructions

Step PhotosNo Photos

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Add the ¾ cup usukuchi soy sauce, ½ cup sake, 1 tablespoon evaporated cane sugar and 1 dashi pack to a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat and let the mentsuyu cool to room temperature. You can also speed this up by putting the pot in an ice bath. When the mentsuyu is cool enough to touch, squeeze the dashi pack and discard.
  
• Pour the mentsuyu into a bottle and keep refrigerated until you're ready to use it. It should keep for several months in the fridge.
  

Recipes in your inboxDon't miss out SIGN UP!

Nutrition Facts

Calories • 31kcalCarbohydrates • 3gProtein • 2gFat • 0.02gSaturated Fat • 0.002gPolyunsaturated Fat • 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat • 0.003gSodium • 973mgPotassium • 40mgFiber • 0.1gSugar • 2gVitamin A • 0.004IUCalcium • 4mgIron • 0.4mg

FAQs