Washoku, or traditional Japanese cuisine, is based around five essential ingredients referred to as “sa-shi-su-se-so”, which are used to create distinctly Japanese flavours. The five ingredients are sugar (sa), salt (shi), vinegar (su), soy sauce (se) and miso (so), which may be combined with dashi broth, sake and spices to make a variety of sauces and condiments.
From yuzu salt to rich tonkatsu sauce, dashi and sesame seed oil, pickles and miso paste – the list of Japanese seasonings is endless. They are important elements of Japanese cuisine and have become a part of Westen food culture as well, driven by health-conscious trends of consumers and chefs who are open to take their creations to the next level.
