MOUEEL
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condimentyuzu · soy · katsuobushi · sharp · marine

Ponzu

Citrus juice cut into soy and steeped with kelp. Acid and glutamate arriving at the same instant.

on its own
5.0sour
1.0sweet
5.0savoury
1.0bitter
5.0umami
order · canon first

1 of these 16 are wild — theory says yes, nobody has cooked them. why →

16 pairings for Ponzu.

Bonito

classic

Citrus and soy do the two jobs the fish cannot: acid and salt.

Sea bream

classic

Raw white fish is sweet and quiet. Ponzu seasons and cures it on the plate.

Daikon

classic

Grated radish and ponzu is the standard dipping bowl for anything hot-pot.

Oyster

classic

Acid on iodine with glutamate underneath. Sharper than lemon and longer.

Tuna

common

Citrus and soy at once, so nothing has to be squeezed after.

Enoki

common

Citrus acid on a mushroom that is already faintly sour. Doubles down.

Raw allium and citrus soy: two loud thin things over something bland.

Shiitake

common

Guanylate, inosinate and acid. Grilled caps need absolutely nothing else.

Octopus

common

Chewy sweet protein takes acid better than fat. The kelp adds the weight.

Asparagus

uncommon

Blanched spears with citrus soy instead of butter: leaner, and the sulfur shows.

Tomato

uncommon

Two glutamate sources plus acid. Chilled tomato in ponzu is a Japanese salad.

Salted citrus over ripe berry; the soy behaves the way balsamic does in Modena.

Raw and sweet under sharp salt. The citrus oil sits on the flesh, not in it.

Cocoa butter is sweet, dumb fat. Citrus soy gives it acid and salt at once.