Japanese Pantry Essentials: 15 Ingredients That Unlock Japanese Cooking

Soy sauce is the most important condiment in the Japanese kitchen. Japanese shoyu is fermented from soybeans, wheat, salt and water — a process that takes months to years and develops hundreds of flavour compounds. The three types to know: koikuchi shoyu (dark soy sauce — the standard for most cooking, around 80% of Japanese soy sauce production); usukuchi shoyu (light soy sauce — paler in colour, saltier, used in dishes where you don't want to colour the food); tamari (wheat-reduced or wheat-free, richer and thicker, the choice for dipping sashimi and gluten-free cooking). Buy Japanese brands (Kikkoman, Yamasa, San-J) for the most authentic flavour.

Mirin is a sweet, low-alcohol rice wine made by fermenting glutinous rice with koji mould and shochu (spirits). It adds sweetness, body, shine and subtle complexity to teriyaki glazes, marinades, nimono sauces and simmered dishes. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains natural sugars and amino acids from fermentation and is significantly superior to mirin-style seasoning (which uses high-fructose corn syrup and additives). Look for 'hon-mirin' on the label — Hinode and Takara are good widely available brands. Mirin keeps for months once opened.

Sake (rice wine) plays the same role in Japanese cooking that wine plays in French or Italian cooking: it adds depth, rounds out flavours, removes fishiness from seafood and meat, and evaporates to leave behind sweetness and complexity. Use regular drinking sake for cooking — it is far superior to products labelled 'cooking sake' (ryorishu), which often contain salt and additives. If you cannot access sake, dry sherry is the closest Western substitute.

Miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans, koji mould and salt (and sometimes rice or barley). Its flavour ranges from sweet and mild (white/shiro miso, aged weeks to months) to deeply complex and salty (red/aka miso, aged years). White miso is the best starting point — use it in miso soup, marinades (miso-glazed salmon and aubergine are classics), dressings and dips. Red miso is for richer soups, braises and ramen. Mixed miso (awase miso) balances both. Refrigerate opened miso — it lasts months. Never boil miso; dissolve it into liquid off the heat to preserve its probiotic cultures and volatile aromas.

Rice vinegar (komezu or sushizu) is mild, slightly sweet and essential for sushi rice, dressings and pickles. It is less acidic than Western wine vinegars and should not be substituted with them. Kombu (dried kelp) is the primary source of glutamates for dashi and can also be used to season rice, pickle vegetables (add to jars of quick-pickled cucumber) and as a flavour base for simmered dishes. Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) is used for dashi, as a garnish, and in furikake rice seasoning. Both kombu and katsuobushi are available in Asian grocery stores and online.

Sesame oil (toasted dark sesame oil) is used as a finishing oil — a few drops over ramen, gyoza or noodles. Sesame seeds (white and black) for garnish and in goma sauce. Wasabi (ideally the real root, but powdered or tube paste for everyday use) for sashimi and sushi. Yuzu kosho — a fermented paste of yuzu citrus peel and green or red chilli — is one of Japan's most exciting condiments: use a tiny amount as a dipping sauce or marinade accent. Ponzu (citrus-soy sauce) for dipping gyoza, shabu-shabu and cold noodles. Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie) — richer and tangier than Western mayo, made with only egg yolks, essential for okonomiyaki and takoyaki.