Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Oils: A mix of toasted sesame oil and neutral cooking oil creates the perfect base. I used rice bran oil, but you can use whatever you like and have on hand.
• Soy sauce: Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) is ideal for authenticity.
• Garlic paste: Store-bought garlic paste is convenient and has consistent flavor intensity. Freshly grated garlic is another option, but it can sometimes be too strong and unpredictable. If you’re using fresh garlic, just cut the amount in half.
• Other seasonings: Sesame seeds, sea salt, and Asian-style chicken bouillon powder.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Worcestershire sauce: In Japan, when we say “sauce,” we’re even talking about Worcestershire. Different versions might taste a bit different from Japanese brands, but we’re after that perfect blend of veggie, fruity, sweet, and tangy notes that makes this sauce.
• Mirin: It brings a glossy finish and depth that plain sugar just can’t replicate.
• Soy sauce: Provides the perfect salty counterbalance to the sweeter elements in our sauce.
• Ketchup: Does double duty in this recipe! Beyond adding sweetness and pleasant tangy acidity, it’s crucial for achieving that perfect thick, pourable consistency we want.
• Dashi granules: My secret weapon! Just a small amount adds that classic Japanese umami character and what I call a slightly “junky” (in the best way!) savory depth.
• Honey: Instead of regular sugar, I opt for honey to create more complex layers of sweetness.

Optional Flavor Boosters:

If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding ONE of these secret ingredients – but remember, just a tiny amount is all you need!

• Chili powder (or ichimi/shichimi togarashi): Just a pinch adds subtle spicy depth without overwhelming the sauce.
• Karashi mustard (or smooth Dijon mustard): Typically mixed with mayonnaise as a takoyaki topping, but you can add a tiny dab directly to the sauce for a pleasant kick if you’re skipping the mayo!
• Sansho pepper: Creates a completely different type of heat experience than chili – expect a tingling, aromatic spiciness that’s uniquely Japanese.
• Lemon juice: For those who enjoy a brighter, more tangy sauce, a few drops can really wake up the flavors.

Important tip: Please don’t add all these optional ingredients at once or use too much of any single one! If you want to experiment, choose just one flavor booster and add it gradually (a pinch at a time), tasting as you go to find your perfect balance.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Olive oil & Toasted sesame oil: We start with a harmonious blend that forms the base of our dressing. This might seem like an unusual combination, but it works really well together.
• Rice vinegar: For a similar tang, you can substitute it with regular white vinegar or grain vinegar.
• Salt & Sugar: Since this is a no-cook dressing, I’d suggest using a fine-grain variety that dissolves easily at room temperature.
• Soy sauce: We specifically use dark soy sauce in this recipe.
• Garlic: The recipe is designed for medium-sized cloves. If you’re using larger cloves or particularly strong garlic varieties, just reduce the quantity a bit to make sure the other flavors don’t get overwhelmed.
• Katsuobushi (Bonito flakes): These dried, fermented skipjack tuna flakes are crushed before adding to infuse the dressing with authentic Japanese umami.
• Black pepper: Freshly ground is always best for maximum flavor, but pre-ground works too. White pepper makes an excellent substitute.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Wasabi Paste: For this recipe, go for the store-bought wasabi paste. Fresh wasabi root is a luxury, but it’s not needed here and would be a waste.
• Rice Vinegar: If you’re in a pinch, white vinegar can work as a substitute, though it will alter the flavor profile slightly.
• Light Soy Sauce: I recommend using light soy sauce for its subtle flavor and lighter color, but dark soy sauce can be used as a substitute if that’s what you have on hand.
• Sugar: You can use any kind of sugar you usually have in your kitchen. The important thing is to choose a sugar that dissolves easily so that the dressing is nice and smooth.
• Toasted Sesame Oil: If you don’t have it, olive oil also and will still result in a tasty dressing with a different flavor profile.
• Dashi Granules: I include these instant dashi granules as an optional flavor enhancer. If you follow a plant-based diet you can omit or substitute for plant-based dashi granules if available.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Miso Paste: I recommend an awase miso paste (blended) if you want a balanced flavor. Can’t find it? You can also make your own by mixing equal parts red miso and white miso.
• Yuzu Juice: I usually use bottled yuzu juice because it’s convenient. If you’re lucky enough to find fresh yuzu at a reasonable price, feel free to squeeze your own! If yuzu isn’t available, don’t worry! Lemon or lime juice are great substitutes.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: After testing, I found apple cider vinegar to be the tastiest option. I also tried rice vinegar, but the apple cider variety performed best in terms of flavor and balance.
• Toasted Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil really brings out the aroma, but feel free to use a neutral-flavored oil if you prefer.
• Honey: Your everyday honey is perfect for this. I picked honey over sugar for this recipe because it blends more easily, which is great for our simple stirring method. Maple or agave syrup make decent substitutes.
• Ground Sesame Seeds: For the best flavor and texture, use freshly ground sesame seeds. If you don’t have a grinder, no problem! Whole sesame seeds will still add a tasty nutty crunch to your dressing.
• Katsuobushi (Bonito Flakes): You can use this ingredient if you want to give your dish a bit of an umami boost. To use, just crush the katsuobushi between your palms to make a fine powder, then sprinkle it in. If you follow a plant-based diet you can omit this or add a sprinkle of plant-based dashi powder instead.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Carrot & Onion: These are the star ingredients in my dressing. I used yellow onions, but white onions work well too.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: After trying out different oils, I’ve found that extra virgin olive oil is the best for bringing out a rich, fruity flavor with added depth.
• Soy Sauce: Just a heads-up: You’ll want to use dark soy sauce (not light) for this dressing.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: While a lot of Japanese dressings use rice vinegar, I’ve found that apple cider vinegar strikes the perfect balance for this adding a punchy flavor with a nice amount of fruitiness.
• Honey: Your everyday honey works wonderfully here. Maple syrup or agave syrup are good substitutes for plant-based diets.
• Apple Juice: Any 100% apple juice will do nicely.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum): Go for a saltier variety. The intense flavor will be perfectly balanced by the sweetness of mirin, which you add later in the recipe.
• Light soy sauce: While dark soy sauce can be used, my tests showed that light soy sauce creates a more delicate and harmonious flavor profile in this dressing.
• Mirin: If you want the most authentic and rich flavor, I really recommend using Hon mirin-it’s the true kind.
• Rice vinegar: This mild, slightly sweet vinegar is perfect for this dressing. You can use grain or white vinegar instead, but just be aware that these alternatives may have a sharper acidity.
• Toasted sesame oil and Extra virgin olive oil: I’ve picked these two oils to make a dressing that’s just right. The nutty taste of sesame oil goes really well with the fruity taste of olive oil, so the flavors blend together perfectly without overpowering the other ingredients.
• Dashi granules: Just a little of these umami-rich granules adds a nice depth to the dressing. Feel free to use a plant-based version to make it suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Key Ingredients

• Neutral cooking oil: I used a 50/50 blend with toasted sesame oil to create the perfect balance for your rayu. If you can, select high-quality oils like cold-pressed rapeseed or canola. You can also adjust this ratio: increase neutral oil for subtlety or increase sesame oil for more pronounced nuttiness.
• Toasted sesame oil: This is what makes Japanese rayu different from other chili oils. Use toasted sesame oil for its intense aroma and rich, complex flavor profile.
• Ginger root: Thick slices with the skin still on are easier to remove and still give off that nice smell. The skin has special flavor compounds that make the flavor more complex. To get the most flavor, you can gently crush the slices to release their essential oils before infusion.
• Dried red chili peppers: Select medium-heat varieties with balanced flavor profiles rather than just heat. Include the seeds for a nice complex character and depth.
• Garlic: Cut into thick slices similar to the ginger preparation. Quality matters here. Fresh, plump cloves will infuse a richer, more nuanced flavor than older garlic.
• Pure red chili pepper powder: If you can, try to use 100% pure chili powder, like Ichimi Togarashi (Japanese single chili pepper). Other options include Korean chili (milder with more complex flavor notes) or Sichuan chili powder (more aromatic with citrusy notes). Each variety will give your rayu a unique flavor.
• Japanese leek (green part only): It adds a subtle, distinctive aroma that makes rayu delicious. If you can’t find it, regular leek greens can be used as a substitute.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Egg yolks: The foundation of authentic Japanese mayonnaise and the secret to its rich, custard-like texture. Use only pasteurized eggs since they won’t be heat-treated. Ideally, use a yolk separator rather than the shells to separate. This further prevents contamination.
• Japanese mustard & smooth Dijon mustard: The Japanese mustard delivers clean, sharp heat while Dijon provides subtle depth and helps stabilize the emulsion through its natural mucilage. This blend closely mimics the “spice extracts” mentioned in Kewpie’s ingredient list.
• Rapeseed oil: The choice of oil dramatically affects the final taste. While any neutral-flavored oil will work, rapeseed oil most accurately matches Kewpie’s proprietary blend of vegetable oils (rapeseed, soybean, and others).
• Rice vinegar & apple cider vinegar: Kewpie’s distinctive tang comes not from rice vinegar alone but from a special blend of vinegars. They use their own custom “mayonnaise vinegar” made from fermented apple juice and malt. Our recipe replicates this by combining rice vinegar’s gentle sweetness with apple cider vinegar’s complex, fruity acidity.
• Ajinomoto (MSG) (optional): As we discussed earlier, it is not possible to completely recreate the taste of Kewpie without some MSG. However, if you don’t want to use it, you can simply leave it out or even use dashi granules instead.
• Other ingredients: Salt (enhances flavor and acts as a natural preservative), lemon juice (adds brightness and helps stabilization), white pepper (provides subtle warmth without visible specks), and sugar (balances acidity- Kewpie itself doesn’t list sugar in its ingredients but has a natural sweetness from its vinegar blend).

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Soy Sauce: It is an important element of the base of the sauce. Please see our guide to soy sauce article to learn more about how to choose soy sauce in Japanese cuisine.
• Sake: To achieve the best flavor in your cooking, I recommend drinking-grade, salt-free sake, as it lacks the added salt found in most cooking sake. If sake is unavailable, I recommend white wine or dry sherry as good substitutes. Learn more about sake in cooking in our Sake 101 article.
• Mirin: Hon Mirin (本みりん) is the preferred choice for adding authentic Japanese flavor. To better understand the nuances between hon mirin and other types, along with recommendations for brands, see my mirin guide.
• Apple: I recommend a sweeter variety to add a subtle, natural sweetness to achieve a distinctive flavor profile.
• Chili Powder: A less spicy variety is ideal for yakiniku sauce as it shouldn’t be too spicy or hot. I used cayenne pepper powder for this.
• Other ingredients: Garlic, ginger, onion, lemon juice, honey, white pepper powder, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and ketchup add authentic flavor and complexity to the sauce.