Table of contents:
Summary
Ponzu is a popular Japanese citrus sauce known for its dark, savory flavor that combines salty and sour notes with a hint of lemon. Made with ingredients like Mirin (rice vinegar), Katsuobushi, and Kombu (a type of seaweed), it is typically flavored with Yuzu lemons or limes, although other Japanese citrus fruits may also be used. Ponzu enhances the taste of various dishes, making it an excellent accompaniment for stews featuring meat, fish, seafood, or vegetables. It can also be enjoyed as a dipping sauce for grilled foods, served with sashimi, or drizzled over cold noodles like soba. Interestingly, the name "Ponzu" derives from the Dutch word "Pons," meaning citrus juice, with the Japanese modifying the ending to "zu," which represents vinegar.Ponzu is a dark, savory sauce and very popular in Japanese cuisine. It tastes salty-sour and slightly lemony. Ponzu is made with mirin (rice vinegar), katsuobushi and kombu (a type of seaweed used to make broth) and seasoned with yuzu lemons or limes. Some variations also use other Japanese citrus fruits for preparation, but yuzu lemons and limes are most commonly used.
How to eat Ponzu?
Ponzu enhances the flavors of dishes and is therefore well suited for stews with meat, fish, seafood or vegetables. You can also dip grilled food in the sauce and then eat it, or serve it with sashimi or cold noodles (e.g. soba).
Fun Fact
The word Ponzu comes from the Dutch term “Pons”, which means citrus juice. The Japanese simply replaced the “s” at the end of the word with “zu” (Japanese for vinegar), and thus the sauce got its name.
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