Sesame sauce ⋅ Morita ⋅ 200ml

⋅ Creamy, pourable sesame sauce, ready to use
⋅ Intense roasted sesame flavor, enhanced by the umami of kombu and shiitake
⋅ The traditional shabu-shabu dipping sauce
⋅ Perfect with cold noodles, tofu, and vegetables
⋅ Also use it as a marinade or dilute it in a vinaigrette.

Morita sesame sauce, called goma dare (ごまだれ) in Japan, is a versatile condiment: creamy, with a roasted flavor that’s slightly sweet, salty, and rich in umami. It adds character to vegetables, noodles, or tofu without the need to make a sauce from scratch.

Its recipe combines sesame paste, soy sauce, apple vinegar, kombu (Japanese seaweed), shiitake, and yeast extracts. Kombu, shiitake, and yeast add depth of umami, while the vinegar balances the sesame’s rich, mellow flavor.

In Japan, it’s the sauce for dipping the thin slices of beef or pork served in shabu-shabu, and the sauce drizzled over blanched vegetables in many restaurants.

How to use it

1. Shabu-shabu and grilled meats: use it as a dipping sauce for thinly sliced beef or pork, or serve it with grilled chicken or salmon. If using it as a marinade, keep an eye on the cooking: sesame browns quickly.
2. Cold sesame noodles: mix it with cold soba or udon, cucumber, spring onions, and sesame seeds. Add a splash of lemon juice or rice vinegar for extra freshness.
3. Tofu and vegetables: a few spoonfuls over cold tofu, steamed broccoli, grilled eggplant, or roasted cabbage. The simplest use, and one of the most effective.
4. Japanese vinaigrette: thin it with a little water, rice vinegar, or lemon juice. Add a touch of grated ginger for a livelier version.