Japanese White Sauce (Yum Yum Sauce)

Japanese White Sauce (Yum Yum Sauce)

Is Japanese white sauce really Japanese? Is this sauce even really white? These are some of life's tough questions, and I don't have the answers for you.

But, Is this sauce delicious? A resounding yes.

I went 29 years eating my teriyaki bowls with only teriyaki sauce, like a schmuck! But one day, while making teriyaki bowls for family meal, a fellow friend and cook said he was going to make this mysterious white sauce, and my life has never been the same.

This not-so-Japanese sidekick sauce is in essence just a heavily seasoned mayonnaise, and it's a perfect companion for teriyaki.

don't they look like best friends?

It goes great on teriyaki - or really any grilled - meats and/or veggies, but it really shines when everything starts mixing together with the rice or noodles that I hope are the base of your dish.

Recipe Notes:
*This recipe calls for several "pinches" as a measurement. When I say "pinch", I mean a two-finger pinch, thumb, and index finger. It's not a lot, it's just...a pinch.

*I use regular mayonnaise here, but if you happen to have Kewpie Mayo I would recommend using it, and foregoing the MSG, even though let's be honest, you're probably already going to forego the MSG.

*I prefer to use tomato paste in a tube because it annoys me to have to save any amount from the small cans. However, if you don't have any or just don't want to open a can of the stuff, you can use 1 tablespoon of ketchup in place of the tomato paste and sugar.

*It appears that just about every recipe on the WWW for this sauce are all exact copies? and they all use butter. I mean I guess it's not that hard to melt a tiny bit of butter, but it is a little annoying when it's the only thing in the recipe that requires heat. I've tried it both ways and I say skip it, I don't think you'll miss it.


Japanese White Sauce

Yield: 6floz

• 100g (1/2c)                  Mayo
• 2g (1/4t)                       Sesame Oil
• 8g (1t)                           Tomato Paste
• 2g (1/2t)                       Sugar
• 5g (1t)                           Rice Vinegar
• 30g (1/8c)                    Water
• 2x Pinch                       Garlic Powder
• 1 Pinch                          Cayenne Pepper Powder
• 1 Pinch                          White Pepper
• 1 Pinch                          Paprika
• 1 Pinch                          MSG

  1. Combine all and whisk until smooth.