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–+ servings

Homemade Mentsuyu (Japanese Noodle Dipping Sauce)

Cook Time10 minutes
Soaking time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Soak 5 g dried kelp (kombu) in 500 ml water for 30 minutes.
    kombu (dried kelp) soaking in a jug of water
  • Transfer the kelp and water to a saucepan and heat on medium-low.
    gently heating kombu in a saucepan of water
  • When the water is almost (but not quite) boiling and remove the kombu. Reduce the heat to low and add 10 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi), 3 tbsp mirin, 6 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 1 tbsp sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
    bonito flakes and condiments combined with kombu dashi to make mentsuyu sauce
  • Strain the bonito flakes.
    straining bonito flakes from homemade mentsuyu sauce
  • Serve immediately while it's hot, or leave to cool and chill in the refrigerator for cold dishes. Enjoy!

Notes

This mentsuyu can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month.
Serving amount of 6 is based on dipping and would be more like 3-4 if used for a bowl of soupy noodles.