Maybe it’s the MSG or the ultra fetished packaging that turns on so many to this Japanese condiment. Seaweed extract was the original umani (deep flavor) source in Japan before the Ajinomoto Corporation isolated and patented MSG in 1909. That same year Rose O’Neill introduced the Kewpie Doll comic strip in Ladies’ Home Journal. Hard to believe that two nations that share a love of weird little dolls and mayonnaise could ever have gone to war.
Ponzu is a generic term for a citrus based vinegar sauce that usually has a splash of soy sauce in it. The Yuzu fruit is a cross between a Mandarin Orange and a Ichang Lemon. Yamasa has been in business since 1645 and opened a huge soy sauce factory in Oregon in 1992. There have been many raised eyebrows in Japan recently with the rise of non-Japanese sushi chefs in the United States. Shabu-shabu sounds fun to eat and it is. Hai!
Pins the fetish meter with a beautifully designed little totem bottle that dispenses its ruby red elixir using a tiny pump. “Taste and Comfort” is the motto of House Foods Corporation of Tokyo which became famous for its solid Indian curry roux back in the sixties. Ramen shops are taking on pho restaurants in an all out noodle war for the heart and soul of American slurpers. Dry cleaners will certainly benefit.
Originally made for Colonial tastes, many Malaysians believed that Lingham’s was a British product. Echoing Norman Nash and his Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce, Mr. Lingham hawked his backyard brewed elixir by going door to door in Penang on his bicycle; he eventually sold the recipe to a local Chinese family. The brand is marketed in the States as Lingham’s Hot Sauce, a needless mistake. “The World’s Finest Multi-Use Condiment”, perhaps it is.
No quack involved, the name comes from bastardized Chinese restaurants in the USA serving the sweet jam like sauce with Peking Duck. Hoisin would be a better choice to spread on the steamed pancakes that accompany the bird. The first Chinese joints in the States appeared in the 19th century and followed the railroads with their coolie labor. In real life, Bonanza’a Hop Sing was shot in the back while a passenger of a hijacked plane.
Just as sriracha refers to a style of hot sauce, sambal is a generic name for ground chili paste with many different varieties. The oelek refers to the ancient mortar and pestle used to make it. In the States, Huy Fong’s rooster rules the roost just like with sriracha. Burns going down and coming out, but not unpleasantly so. The Sambals were fierce natives of the Philippines who executed murderers by drilling a hole at the top of the skull and scooping out the brains.
Courtesy of Soy Vay, Asian fever straight out of Humbolt County. Teriyaki is strictly a marinade in Japan. The teriyaki burger is a worldwide phenomena. The founders first marketed Veri Veri as a “chinese sauce”, the inventer is from Hong Kong. Kosher, naturally.
If necessary, wasabi can be used as a very expensive toothpaste. Wasabi is related to but distinct from horseradish. Most wasabi served in restaurants or sold in stores is a fraud due to the expense and difficulty of growing the real deal. Traditional graters are made from sharkskin. Like crack cocaine, wasabi provides an initial rush that fades quickly leaving one desperate for more.
So head and shoulders above other commercial brands, Koon Chun has resorted to laser etching technology to prevent counterfeiting. While previous generations of westerners were introduced to hoisin as a dipping sauce for Peking Duck or char siu, the current crop of foodies are more likely to encounter it while eating pho, often mixing it with chile sauce or paste. Like soy sauce, cheap brands should be avoided due to questionable ingredients.
It’s telling that chef Rick Bayless can’t live without it. Sriracha is the generic name for Thai style hot sauce throughout Southeast Asia. In the US, the cock rules and Huy Fong Foods really have no competition. Some call it “rooster sauce.” There are five different languages on every bottle. Huy Fong was the name of the freighter that company founder David Tran left Vietnam on. Rosemead CA is fifty percent Asian and noodle soup heaven.
