Homemade Mentsuyu (Japanese Noodle Dipping Sauce)

Method5 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Soak the 5 g dried kombu kelp in the 500 ml water for 30 minutes.

   Soak kombu for mentsuyu · 30 minUses 5 g dried kombu kelp · 500 ml water

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Transfer the kombu and its soaking water from step 1 to a saucepan. Heat over medium-low until just short of boiling.

   Uses Kombu and its soaking water

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Remove the kombu just before the water boils. Once the infusion begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and add the 10 g bonito flakes, 3 tbsp mirin, 6 tbsp Japanese soy sauce and 1 tbsp sugar. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.

   Simmer seasoned mentsuyu · 5 minUses Kombu-infused water after removing the kelp · 10 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi) · 3 tbsp mirin · 6 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) · 1 tbsp sugar

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Turn off the heat and pour the cooked sauce from step 3 through a fine sieve into a clean heatproof container, removing the bonito flakes.

   Uses Cooked mentsuyu and bonito flakes

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Use the strained mentsuyu hot as a dipping sauce or soup base in a separate noodle recipe. For cold use or storage, transfer to shallow containers and refrigerate promptly after the initial steam subsides. Keep at 4 °C or below and use within 3–4 days, or freeze convenient portions for up to 1 month. Keep any unused sauce cold.

   Uses Prepared sauce retained after straining the bonito flakes