Homemade Mentsuyu (Japanese Noodle Soup Base)
Lightly smoky and full of umami, Mentsuyu is a Japanese soup base used either hot or cold in a multitude of noodle dishes. You can easily make it at home with sake, mirin, soy sauce, and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). This Mentsuyu is concentrated.
Foto: Just One Cookbook
Ingredients
- ½ cup sake
- 1 ⅛ cup mirin
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) ((5 g; 2 x 2 inches or 5 x 5 cm per piece))
- 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
Steps
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Gather all the ingredients.
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In a saucepan, add ½ cup sake, 1⅛ cup mirin, and 1 cup soy sauce.
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Add 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) and 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
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Slowly bring it to a boil over medium-low heat.
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Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it cool.
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Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Tip: Reserve the kombu and katsuobushi for another use (see below).
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This Mentsuyu is concentrated. In general, the mentsuyu-to-water ratio should be 1:2 for a dipping sauce for cold Zaru Soba or Tanuki Udon and 1:4 for Udon Noodle Soup or Soba Noodle Soup. Please adjust the taste of your dipping sauce or soup broth by adding more mentsuyu or water.
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You can store the Mentsuyu in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to a month.
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Save the spent kombu and katsuobushi in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
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Repurpose the spent katsuobushi and kombu to make Homemade Furikake (Rice Seasoning).
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Macronutrients
*DV = Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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