Gotta Get: Yuzu Tabasco - Yuzusco

I am a condiment addict. I need to get things in order as our fridge is overflowing with tubes and jars. When working for a travel company I remember having lunch with an automotive executive on our way to the airport. This well-dressed, worldly man pulled out a small bottle of Tobasco from his briefcase. I couldn't believe it. He was probably on the road 2-3 weeks a month and he said he always carried Tobasco with him. I am not that committed to my condiments, but here is one to put on your radar. Yuzusco, think Tobasco with the citrusy aromatics and bite of yuzu.

It was so good the bottle went quickly. It went with everything I paired it with. Grilled chicken, grilled fish, gyoza, steamed vegetables, pizza, and pasta. Too hot now to make nabe (hot pots) but I am sure it would have been perfect for that as well.

The Yuzusco website (in English) has the perfect tagline: Once you use it, you won't want to stop - it'll become a habit. So true. The company also makes a red yuzu sauce as well as a ginger sauce. I haven't seen it around much. Found it at our local depachika. The company website is in several languages so I imagine they are working hard to export this. 

Taberu Rayu Two

Taberu Rayu is at every supermarket I visit in Japan. What started as one product by one company has exploded to many variations. One of the most interesting ones I have come across is the basic taberu rayu without the oil.

As you can see by looking inside the jar, it's very different from the original version. The SB Foods website says that it is 20% less calories and 40% less fat than the original version.

Here it is simply on rice. We love it. Much better than the oily version which makes the rice greasy and hard to eat. The SB Foods website offers many recipe ideas for this product. Even if you don't read Japanese you'll be able to sort out several of the recipes just from the photos.

Gotta Get - Taberu Shoyu

The popularity of taberu rayu has been a great food trend to observe. First was to see all of the copycat versions imitating the original taberu rayu. Now, there are many new products that are similar in style but made from totally different ingredients. One of our new favorites is this Saku Saku Taberu Kobashi Shoyu from Kikkoman.

We love it over seafood, like this scallops.

The oil based condiment is made with freeze-dried soy sauce flakes, fried garlic, fried onions, sesame seeds, almonds, and more spices. Over rice it was good but we found it a bit oily. The bottle suggests putting it over boiled vegetables or stir-fries. We also had it over steamed greens which was better than the rice. However, our favorite is over sake-steamed fish. The contrast of the crunchy condiment and the juicy, flakey cod was perfect. Seasoning also a perfect match.

Kikkoman has two other similar products. Taberu Shoyu Yuzu-fumi which is seasoned with yuzu and a Taberu Shoyu Torigara Su-pu Aji that is flavored with chicken soup.

Gotta Get – Nosetare Rayu Oroshi のせタレラー油おろし

We are addicted to taberu rayu, the mild chili oil filled with fried garlic chips. At the store this area of condiments has blossomed into other products, including this very interesting rayu oroshi.

Oroshi is simply grated items, usually vegetables. Popular grated vegetables include wasabi for sushi, ginger for topping tofu, and daikon for serving with grilled fish.

The ingredients for this thick paste include daikon, soy sauce, sugar, rayu, mirin, yuzu, lemon juice, and katsuobushi extract. As you can imagine, it has a nice acidity from the yuzu and lemon, a rich umami from the katsuobushi, sweetness from the sugar and mirin, slight chili from the rayu, and a nice thick texture from the grated daikon. SB, which makes this product, has a line-up of rayu condiments.

Rayu oroshi seems to go with almost anything. It was the perfect garnish for tuna tataki. We also have enjoyed it with grilled meats (pork, chicken, or beef), ramen, and of course, over rice.

Look for it at major supermarkets in Japan.