Japanese Pantry

Nagano — Japan

Item #2020 - 500ml
Item #2395 - 10L
Item #2220 - Case (8 x 500ml)

This unique liquid shio koji is made in Japan by Hanamaruki. Shio koji is made by fermenting rice that’s been inoculated with the mold used to make miso and soy sauce. It develops a slightly sweet, slightly salty flavor that adds a serious umami kick when used as a condiment. But it’s full of enzymes and works as a marinade for meat, seafood, and vegetables. (VE, GF)

Gobo City — Japan

Item #2400 - 200g

Made by a company with over 300 years of experience producing miso and soy sauce, this miso is some of the best we've tasted. Aged for 3 years, this Aka, or Red, Miso is deeply flavorful, and hits salty, sweet, and umami notes alike. It's robust character makes it perfect for marinades, and we love it in hearty miso soups with potatoes or squash. (VE, GF)

Gobo City — Japan

Item #2405 - 200g

Made by a company with over 300 years of experience producing miso and soy sauce, this miso is some of the best we've tasted. Aged for a year and half, this "mixed" variety is something of cross between red and white misos, and its flavor rich and nuanced like red misos, but more mellow and less salty. Perfect for miso with eggplant or clams, or any other briny seafood. (VE, GF)

Gobo City — Japan

Item #2120 - 200ml
Item #2121 - 900ml
Item #2320 - Case (24 x 200ml)
Item #2321 - Case (12 x 900ml)

Currently run by 18th generation Nomura-san, Horikawaya Nomura is a 300 year old soy sauce company located in Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture. Utilizing production methods perfected over centuries, Horikawaya Nomura still uses wood fires to make their soy sauce, and the end product is full of nuanced layers of umami. Truly one of the world’s best soy sauces. (VE)

Miyazu — Japan

Item #2430 - 500ml
Item #2435 - 900ml
Item #2431 - Case (12 x 500ml)
Item #2436 - Case (12 x 900ml)

Iio Jozo's brown rice vinegar is made just like their Pure and Premium rice vinegar, expect it is made with brown rice. This wonderful brew has a rich, malty taste. It is great for adding to broths, ponzu, pickles or making vinaigrette. (VE, GF)

Miyazu — Japan

Item #2455 - 120ml
Item #2460 - 500ml
Item #2456 - Case (15 x 120ml)

Iio Jozo has added honey to their amazing Purple Sweet Potato vinegar to sweeten it up a bit. Now we have an earthy, tart and sweet vinegar that could become the perfect shrub, vinaigrette or whatever you feel would be the best application. Enjoy this wonderful provision. (VE, GF)

Miyazu — Japan

Item #2420 - 500ml
Item #2425 - 900ml
Item #2421 - Case (12 x 500ml)
Item #2426 - Case (12 x 900ml)

Like their Pure Rice Vinegar, this vinegar is made with ingredients grown without pesticides and Iio Jozo’s house-made sake. However, to make a liter of this premium vinegar they use 320 grams of rice. This recipe was developed over a 20 year period by the fifth generation Iio-san to have a rounder, fuller taste and has minimized the acidic nose of regular vinegar. (VE, GF)

Miyazu — Japan

Item #2180 - 500ml
Item #2185 - 900ml
Item #2181 - Case (12 x 500ml)
Item #2186 - Case (12 x 900ml)

Iio Jozo has made some of Japan’s best vinegar for more than a century. Using spring water and locally grown, pesticide-free rice, the company first makes sake, then slowly ferments it into vinegar. The vinegar ages for another 8 months, producing rich, complex flavor. (VE, GF)

Miyazu — Japan

Item #2450 - 500ml
Item #2451 - Case (12 x 500ml)

Like all of their other vinegars, first Iio-san makes a sake from the main ingredient and then turns it into vinegar. Same goes for this purple sweet potato vinegar, which the resulting sake looks like a brilliant ruby red beet soup. The finished vinegar itself has beautiful purplish color. On the nose and palate you can taste the earthy potato, but it also has the round fullness of a superb red wine vinegar. This product is really amazing. (VE, GF)

Aichi — Japan

Item #2006 - 200ml
Item #2005 - 720ml
Item #2206 - Case (32 x 200ml)
Item #2205 - Case (12 x 720ml)

Ito Shoten has made miso and tamari for more than 200 years in Taketoyo; tamari is pressed from miso, not brewed like soy sauce. Made with only Japanese-grown soybeans and natural sea salt, slowly aged for three years in cedar casks, the tamari has a thick, caramel-ish, smoky, meaty, deep umami flavor. Best used at the table, please refrigerate after opening. (VE, GF)

Japan

Item #2535 - 500g

These somen noodles from Miwa Yamakatsu are some of the most delicate, bright and delicious somen noodles we have tasted. The secret behind these noodles is that they use Yoshino kudzu starch to give them a wonderful silky texture. Using these noodles whether they are cold or hot, you really can not go wrong. (VE)

Japan

Item #2540 - 180g

Kudzu starch (called kuzu in Japan) is made from the kudzu root and is traditionally used in Japan for its thickening properties and in the making of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets). When used as a thickener it acts like other starches such are cornstarch or arrowroot, but it has superior flavor and texture. It does not leave a starchy taste or appear overly cloudy. Use it to replace those other starches when making pie fillings, etc. We often use it for a glaze on top of chawan mushi. In the hotter months, the Japanese make chilled noodles using only kudzu starch and water, which they dip into a brown sugar syrup - refreshing! (VE, GF)

Hatermuma Island — Japan

Item #4100 - 500g
Item #4200 - Case (20 x 500g)

Okinawan sugar production dates to the 17th century, and Murakami Syoten, on tiny Hatermuma Island, makes the most prized sugar. This unrefined sugar, called kokuto in Japan, is one of the five key ingredients in Japanese cooking, along with salt, vinegar, soy sauce and miso. (VE, GF)

Japan

Item #2160 - 300ml
Item #2161- 1.8L
Item #2260 - Case (12 x 300ml)

While 'tamari' is generally used to refer to wheat-free soy sauces, this version inverts that formula and is made entirely from wheat. Aged for months in cedar vats, it's malty and tangy-sweet with notes of white miso. Lovely in salad dressings, its salty-sweet flavor plays well with sake and mirin. Also shines when drizzled over simple vegetable dishes and roasted salmon. (VE)

Tatsuno City — Japan

Item #2130 - 150ml
Item #2230 - Case (10 x 150ml)

Suehiro Shoyu has been brewing usukuchi, the light-colored soy sauce used for ponzu, since 1879 in Tatsuno City. They blend four different Japanese citrus for their ponzu sauce: Yuzu for aroma, Sudachi for acidity, Daidai for sweetness & Yukou for mildness. Great with raw fish, vegetables, and noodles, it’s also great blended with mayonnaise. (VE)

Tatsuno City — Japan

Item #2140 - 150ml
Item #2141 - 1L
Item #2240 - Case (12 x 500ml)
Item #2241 - Case (12 x 1L)

Usukuchi (light colored) shoyu is not your typical soy sauce, meaning this is not the one you use for dipping your sushi into. This style of soy sauce is a seasoning, made especially for cooking, and you should think of it like you would salt. This wonderful light bodied brew from Suehiro, established 1879, has a complex aroma of fruity umami and the taste is much the same, with a slightly caramel note. Produced from only Japanese-grown soybeans, wheat and natural sea salt, use this nuanced soy sauce to season soups, stews, simmered dishes, etc. (VE)

Japan

Item #2525 - 65g
Item #2530 - 500g

Rishiri Konbu invokes the word delicate which is all that is Kyoto cuisine. Sustainably harvested off the coast of Rishiri Island in far northern Japan, this konbu is flavorful, yet mild. It works perfectly to showcase each ingredient in a dish. This konbu gives an umami pop in a subtle, elegant way. We love this konbu when making beautiful dishes like chawan mushi, clear dashi soups, nimono, etc. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2366 - 500ml

Wadaman’s ultra-premium sesame oil is used in the best Japanese restaurants around the country. Subtle and nuanced where others are burnt and over-roasted tasting, this Golden Sesame Oil is used to flavor, rather than cook, and it’s deeply nutty flavor profile lends itself well to classic Japanese preparations. We love it drizzled in avocado salads, over cold noodles, and with dumplings of all variety. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2110 - 300ml
Item #2350 - 500ml

Wadaman's reputation as Japan's best sesame roaster was earned over 130 years of business. This oil, though light in color, is packed with rich flavors of cacao nibs, ground almonds and sesame. Use it as a finishing oil or as a component in dressings to add a nutty depth to vegetables, noodles and rice dishes. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2001 - 250g
Item #2002 - 1kg

Wadaman’s fourth generation owner, Etsuji Wada, is known as the best sesame seed roaster in Japan. Black sesame seeds are roasted and ground to make this deep, rich, nutty black sesame paste. Typically used in cold noodle salads and desserts, it’s also delicious spread on toast. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2310 - 250g
Item #2315 - 1kg

Wadaman’s fourth generation owner, Etsuji Wada, is known as the best sesame seed roaster in Japan. This sweet, nutty sesame paste works both sweet and savory dishes. Make hummus, drizzle it over ice cream, or spread it on toast. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2360 - 300ml
Item #2365 - 500ml

Made from organic golden sesame seeds, this oil’s deep flavor and rich, nutty aroma make it perfect for any number of Japanese dishes (we particularly like it with cold noodles and any kind of dumpling). Just like olive oil, you want to store this in a cool, dark place to preserve its freshness. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2340 - 50g
Item #2345 - 1kg

These plump raindrops of roasted goodness have been roasted by the 4th generation master, Etsuji Wada, for over 40 years! The black sesame seeds have a distinct thick nutty flavor that does well on salads, rice, yogurt and even ice cream. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2350 - 50g
Item #2170 - 1kg

These plump raindrops of roasted goodness have been roasted by the fourth generation master, Etsuji Wada, for over 40 years! Golden roasted sesame seeds are in a class of their own with the distinct rich aroma of nutty and rich flavor. They lend themselves to salads, topping for ramen, goma tofu and sesame dipping sauces. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2330 - 50g
Item #2335 - 1kg

These plump raindrops of roasted goodness have been roasted by the fourth generation master, Etsuji Wada, for over 40 years! Roasted white sesame seeds are nutty, rich and sweet in flavor and perfect for toppings of baked goods, crushed in salad dressings and even on sushi. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2370 - 300ml
Item #2375 - 500ml

From Japan’s premier sesame roaster, this Organic White Sesame Oil has the light fruity aroma of roasted hazelnuts and almonds. The flavor shares these attributes while also incorporating a hint of skin-on roasted peanuts. It’s not toasted, and its lighter flavor works great for simple cucumber salads, various fish preparations, and with noodles. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2320 - 80g
Item #2325 - 1kg

Wadaman’s fourth generation owner, Etsuji Wada, is known as the best sesame seed roaster in Japan. This sweet, nutty sesame paste works both sweet and savory dishes. Make hummus, drizzle it over ice cream, or spread it on toast. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2004 - 50g
Item #2018 - 1kg

Wadaman’s fourth-generation owner, Etsuji Wada, is known as the best sesame seed roaster in Japan. These roasted sesame seeds make a great snack, but they’re also good sprinkled over salads or anywhere you need a salty kick. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2380 - 100g

A sansho & sesame heavy Japanese seven spice is the perfect condiment to pick up any poultry dish, miso soup or whatever you want to spice up. Keep in freezer when not using to preserve freshness. (VE, GF)

Tatsuno City — Japan

Item #2150 - 500ml
Item #2250 - Case (12 x 500ml)

Yamaki Jozo is located at the foot of a beautiful mountain where they get the pristine spring water for making their shoyu. Produced from only Japanese-grown soybeans, wheat and natural sea salt. This beautiful, light, almost rose-colored shoyu delivers in every way. It is extremely well balanced, has mild saltiness, sweet fruitiness and is deep with umami. Please refrigerate once open. (VE)

Japan

Item #2480 - 100g

One of the oldest spices in human history, often called Japanese pepper or prickly ash. This sansho is the from the highly-prized Budo variety. It has a very distinct citrus/floral nose and numbing effect on the tongue. It pairs really well with grilled meats, BBQ eel, scallops, etc. Keep in freezer when not using to preserve freshness. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2485 - 10g
Item #2490 - 100g

Sansho, also called Prickly Ash, is one of the oldest spices in human history. Bright, floral, and citrusy with a subtle heat, it is related to Sichuan Peppercorn and has a similarly numbing quality. What makes Yamatsu's special is that it's a delicate blend of three varieties of Sansho: Yamakura, Asakura and Budo, which together produce a spice with unparalleled depth of flavor. A classic yakitori seasoning, it pairs especially well with grilled meats and BBQ eel. We recommend keeping it in the freezer when not using to preserve freshness. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2495 - 15g
Item #2500 - 100g

Fourth generation spice master Tsujita-san is known for his dedication to tradition, and is credited with saving Japan’s heirloom Hawk’s Claw chili. This fragrant spice blend combines the heat of the Hawk’s Claw with sesame seeds, seaweed, sanshou pepper, and a touch of aromatic yuzu. Sprinkle over grilled meats or miso soup; it will instantly jazz up scrambled eggs and rice bowls. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2515 - 8g
Item #2520 - 170g

Takanotsume translates to "The Claw of the Hawk" and is a very rare pepper in Japan. In fact, Tsujita-san, the president and craftsman of Yamatsu Tsujita Co. Ltd. says, "99 percent of red chili peppers sold in Japan are produced overseas and many of these are species of red chili peppers that cannot be called Takanotsume although they are circulated as such." These peppers have become his mission to preserve and as he puts it, "Takanotsume is my heart and soul." Takanotsume peppers are prized for their distinctively rich aroma, flavor and unrivaled spiciness. The peppers in these jars are hand-selected. Enjoy in anyway you currently use dried peppers. (VE, GF)

Osaka — Japan

Item #2505 - 15g
Item #2510 - 100g

Fourth generation spice master Tsujita-san is known for his dedication to tradition, and is credited with saving Japan’s heirloom Hawk’s Claw chili. This fragrant spice blend combines the heat of the Hawk’s Claw with aromatic dried yuzu along with sesame seeds, seaweed, and sanshou pepper. Its bright citrus notes are perfect on grilled fish and chicken, and will instantly jazz up a rice bowl. (VE, GF)

Saitama — Japan

Item #2390 - 300ml
Item #2391 - Case (12 x 300ml)

Yugeta's organic soy sauce is made from Japanese-grown organic soybeans and wheat. Traditionally aged in cedar vats for one year, this organic soy sauce has a yeasty, fermented nose and a light coffee color. It is great for adding flavor to broths or for dipping. Please refrigerate after opening. (VE)

Saitama — Japan

Item #2003 - 210ml
Item #2203 - Case (12 x 210ml)

Since 1923 Yugeta Shoyu has been making soy sauce just outside Tokyo using only wheat and soybeans grown in Japan. Smoked over cherry wood, this shoyu makes a perfect dipping sauce for meats or vegetables. (VE)