Teriyaki sauce is a popular cooking sauce and glaze used across Japanese cuisine. It has a sweet, savory, and umami flavor that works well in marinating, grilling, broiling, and glazing proteins like meat, fish, and tofu. Teriyaki sauce is commonly used in dishes like teriyaki chicken, salmon teriyaki, beef teriyaki, and more. But when you order teriyaki at a Japanese restaurant, what kind of teriyaki sauce are they using?
The primary ingredients in teriyaki sauce are mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar, and starch. However, restaurants often have their own variations and secret recipes to create unique flavors. The specific ingredients and proportions vary depending on the chef’s preferences. Let’s take a closer look at some of the factors that distinguish restaurant-style teriyaki sauce.
Mirin
Mirin is an essential ingredient in teriyaki sauce. It’s a sweet Japanese rice wine that provides sweetness, depth of flavor, and sheen to the glaze. In homemade teriyaki sauce, mirin makes up about 1⁄4 to 1⁄3 of the total mixture. However, restaurants often use a higher ratio of mirin in their recipes. More mirin results in a sweeter, thicker, and glossier sauce. The increased sugar content promotes better browning and caramelization when proteins are grilled or broiled with the teriyaki glaze.
Using high-quality hon-mirin (true mirin) is the key to authentic teriyaki flavor. Hon-mirin contains 14-17% alcohol which gives it a sweet but complex taste without being cloyingly sugary. In comparison, aji-mirin has added glucose and corn syrup instead of alcohol and has a one-dimensional sweetness. Restaurants invest in hon-mirin to achieve better depth, umami, and balance in their teriyaki.
Sake
Sake, or Japanese rice wine, is the second critical liquid ingredient in teriyaki. It contributes an umami flavor and also helps tenderize meat by breaking down proteins. Restaurants typically use sake in a 15-20% ratio in their teriyaki recipes.
Chefs choose high-quality sake for teriyaki to benefit from its subtle flavors and aromas. Premium ginjo-shu grade sake has floral, fruity notes that enhance the sauce. Daiginjo-shu is even more expensive but prized for its complexity. The nuanced flavors get concentrated during cooking into the teriyaki glaze. Saving sake for cooking may seem extravagant, but it makes a noticeable difference in the end result.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce provides saltiness, savoriness, and that iconic teriyaki color. Japanese restaurants use koikuchi shoyu, the standard variety of soy sauce, in their teriyaki. They may blend in darker sauces like tamari or mushroom soy sauce to add extra umami.
The quality and type of soy sauce affect the final flavor. Chefs may splurge on artisanal brewed soy sauces which can retail for $15-$30 for a 16oz bottle. They have complex savory notes compared to generic grocery store soy sauce. Premium soy sauces are also usually naturally fermented and aged for months to develop flavor nuances.
Sugar
Sugar balances out soy sauce’s saltiness and adds sweetness along with mirin. White sugar or brown sugar enhances teriyaki’s flavor and allows the glaze to caramelize. Restaurants typically use a higher sugar to soy sauce ratio compared to homemade recipes. The extra sweetness better complements the stronger soy sauce used in commercial kitchens.
Some chefs add a small amount of orange juice concentrate or pineapple juice to introduce fruity flavors and tenderizing enzymes like bromelain. Other specialty ingredients like sesame oil, garlic, ginger, spices, or honey may provide extra dimensions in customized teriyaki sauces.
Starch Thickener
Cornstarch, potato starch, or arrowroot starch help thicken teriyaki into an adhesive glaze that sticks nicely to food. They also give the sauce a rich, glossy sheen. Restaurants tend to use a higher amount of starch compared to homemade versions to achieve a viscosity that nicely coats ingredients and gives a lacquered appearance.
Professional cooks also rely on specific techniques to get flawless results with their teriyaki glaze. They first combine mirin, sake, sugar and simmer to reduce the alcohol content and develop flavors. Soy sauce is added later since its salts can hinder thickening. The starch slurry goes in at the end after the sauce cools slightly. This prevents lumps and unwanted early thickening. Chefs also fine strain their teriyaki to remove any impurities or undissolved starch bits.
Pre-Made Teriyaki Sauces
While scratch-made teriyaki allows for total flavor control, some restaurants use commercial bottled teriyaki sauces as a shortcut. Especially lower-end establishments focused on high volume and speed may opt for mass produced teriyaki.
Major brands like Kikkoman, Yamasa, and Wei Chuan make bottled teriyaki sauces tailored for commercial kitchens. They have thicker consistency, standardized flavors, and consistent quality batch after batch. The simplified ingredients and production process lower costs compared to artisanal teriyaki.
Pre-made teriyaki sauces lend themselves better to reheating, holding, and reusing during high-volume restaurant service. They also require minimal prep work besides heating and mixing with extra mirin or sake to taste. However, discerning diners may notice the difference in depth and nuance from elevated homemade teriyaki.
Trends and Innovations
While traditional teriyaki remains popular, chefs continue innovating with new styles and fusions. Eclectic teriyaki creations help attract adventurous diners looking to expand their taste horizons. Some current trends include:
- Smoked teriyaki made with smoked soy sauce or liquid smoke for a barbecue hint.
- Spicy teriyaki spiked with chilies, sriracha, or pepper flakes.
- Fruit-infused teriyaki with mango, pineapple, cherry, or other produce.
- Gochujang teriyaki featuring the Korean red chili paste.
- Miso teriyaki blending white or red miso into the sauce.
- Yakitori-style teriyaki with tare sauce.
- Fusion seafood teriyaki using ponzu, fish sauce, oyster sauce etc.
Chefs are also branching out with untraditional proteins for teriyaki like duck, tofu, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Some high-end omakase restaurants have even developed dessert teriyaki sauces for ice cream. The possibilities are endless for creative cooks seeking to put a special spin on the classic teriyaki flavor profile.
Conclusion
Japanese restaurants invest time and quality ingredients into their house teriyaki sauces to deliver an authentic, nuanced flavor. Key components include hon-mirin, daiginjo-shu sake, artisanal soy sauce, sugar, and premium starch. Chefs carefully craft the proportions and cooking techniques for an ideal glazing consistency and balanced sweet-salty taste. Customization provides each restaurant’s signature flair. While ready-made bottled teriyaki is more affordable and convenient, nothing beats the from-scratch version made with care. That sublime umami edge and depth explains why teriyaki remains one of the most crave-worthy Japanese sauce exports worldwide. The tradition continues evolving as chefs fuse teriyaki with global ingredients and put modern twists on a classic.
Teriyaki Sauce Recipes Used in Japanese Restaurants
Restaurant | Teriyaki Sauce Recipe |
---|---|
Restaurant A | 1 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup mirin, 1/2 cup sake, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp cornstarch |
Restaurant B | 1 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup mirin, 1/4 cup sake, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp cornstarch |
Restaurant C | 3/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup mirin, 1/3 cup sake, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp arrowroot starch |
Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients Used in Restaurants
Restaurant | Mirin Type | Sake Type | Soy Sauce | Sugar | Starch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Restaurant A | Hon-mirin | Junmai-ginjo sake | Koikuchi shoyu | White sugar | Potato starch |
Restaurant B | Aji-mirin | Futsushu sake | Usukuchi shoyu | Brown sugar | Cornstarch |
Restaurant C | Hon-mirin | Junmai daiginjo sake | Tamari soy sauce | Brown sugar | Arrowroot starch |
FAQs
What makes restaurant teriyaki sauce better?
Restaurants use high-quality ingredients like hon-mirin, premium sake, artisanal soy sauce, and fresh produce. Their recipes have optimal ratios and cooking methods. They also prepare teriyaki sauce fresh in small batches.
Do restaurants make their own teriyaki sauce?
Upscale Japanese restaurants tend to make their teriyaki completely from scratch. But some lower-end or casual places rely on bottled commercial teriyaki sauce to save time and money.
What’s the difference between homemade and restaurant teriyaki?
Home cooks often tweak recipes to suit their tastes, while restaurants follow meticulous recipes. Restaurants also have access to professional ingredients and cooking equipment for superior flavor and consistency. Their teriyaki glazes have a thicker, stickier texture optimized for commercial use.
Is restaurant teriyaki sauce healthier?
Not necessarily. Homemade teriyaki can also be healthy by using less sugar, wheat-free mirin, and reduced sodium soy sauce. But restaurants may use higher-quality real ingredients versus synthetic additives found in some commercial sauces.
Can you buy teriyaki sauce like restaurants use?
Gourmet Asian grocers may carry premium Japanese cooking sake, mirin and soy sauce for teriyaki. Some brands like Mitoku export versions of sauces used by restaurants in Japan. But for the most authentic results, it’s best to make teriyaki completely from scratch.