A classic Japanese citrus sauce used for dipping a wide assortment of dishes.
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Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated October 17, 2023
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Why It Works
- Sweet mirin, refreshing citrus, and smoky/savory bonito flakes and kombu join forces for one flavorful powerhouse.
Ponzu is a classic Japanese citrus condiment that’s great for dipping all manner of noodles, salads, dumplings, grilled meats, and cold sliced fish into.
But while the “what is ponzu?” is easy to answer, the question,, “where did ponzu sauce come from?” is more muddled. To answer that we’ll need to go back nearly four centuries to Japan’s Edo Period, when the country spent nearly 200 years in isolation.
During this era, Japan’s only contact with the rest of the world was through the Dutch, who maintained a settlement at the Port of Nagasaki from 1641 to the mid 1800s. Some lasting proof of this cultural and economic exchange can be found in the dozens of words left behind by the settlers that were absorbed into the local language; for example, although now obsolete in the Netherlands, “pon” was once a *Dutch word used to describe a type of punch. When attached to the word “su”—Japanese for vinegar—“pon-su” initially described a citrus-y co*cktail introduced by the Dutch that made its way from Nagasaki to Osaka via traveling merchants. According to Nikkei, the eventual addition of soy sauce to this citrus-y concoction created a popular condiment in an area already known for seasoning its fish with citrus. Fast forward many years to the mid-20th century, and a modern version of the sauce was bottled industrially and eventually sold worldwide.
*Because I know you’re curious, other linguistic contributions from the Netherlands to Japan include birru (bier/beer), kokku (kok/cook), shiroppu (siroop/syrup), kopu (kop/cup), and kōhii (koffie/coffee).
Interestingly, in 1960 the condiment company Mizkan began selling a product called ‘Ponzu,’ a lime-colored combination of citrus juice and vinegar that seems much closer to early Dutch/Japanese “pon-su” than ‘Aji Ponzu,’ Mizkan’s ‘seasoned’ ponzu with soy that was released four years later. Confused yet? Great, because people in Japan are, too.
Mercifully, there’s an easy takeaway: Ponzu sauce is delectable, and once you’ve sourced the six ingredients below, it’s easy as heck to make on your own.
June 2016
This recipe was developed by J. Kenji López-Alt, while the headnote was written by Lindsay Anderson.
Recipe Details
Ponzu Sauce (Japanese Citrus Dipping Sauce)
Cook20 mins
Active5 mins
Total20 mins
Serves12 servings
Makes1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (1 ounce; 30ml)
1/2 cup mirin (4 ounces; 120ml) (see note)
1 (3- by 3-inch) piece kombu (about 1 ounce; 30g) (see note)
1/2 ounce (15g) shaved katsuobushi (see note)
1/2 cup yuzu juice, or equal parts lemon and lime juice (4 ounces; 120ml) (see note)
1/2 cup light soy sauce (4 ounces; 120ml)
Directions
Combine vinegar, mirin, and kombu in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in katsuobushi. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard solids (or reserve to make a second batch, using some additional katsuobushi in the second batch). Allow liquid to cool completely.
Combine steeped mirin, citrus juice, and soy sauce. Ponzu will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Special Equipment
Fine-mesh strainer
Notes
Mirin, kombu, and katsuobushi (bonito) can be found in any Japanese grocery or most well-stocked supermarkets. Fresh yuzu is nearly impossible to find outside of Japan. Bottled yuzu juice works well, but can be pricey. You can cut the bottled yuzu juice with lemon and lime juice to lower the cost, or simply replace it completely with a lemon/lime combination.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 40 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 6g | Carbs |
| 2g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 12 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 40 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 4mg | 1% |
| Sodium 911mg | 40% |
| Total Carbohydrate 6g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 1% |
| Total Sugars 5g | |
| Protein 2g | |
| Vitamin C 2mg | 8% |
| Calcium 13mg | 1% |
| Iron 0mg | 2% |
| Potassium 96mg | 2% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
