is a

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

-based sauce commonly used in

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and oth ...

. It is tart, with a thin, watery consistency and nearly colorless. or is ponzu with soy sauce () added, and the mixed dark brown product is widely referred to as simply . The term originally came into the

Japanese language is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ...

as as a borrowing of the now obsolete

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

word , meaning '' punch'' as in a beverage made from fruit juices. The sour nature of this sauce led to the final being written with the character , meaning " vinegar". Ponzu is made by simmering mirin,

rice vinegar Rice vinegar is a vinegar made from fermented rice in East Asia (China, Japan and Korea), as well as in Vietnam in Southeast Asia. It is used as a seasoning, dressing, and dipping in many dishes, including sushi, jiaozi, and banchans. Some of i ...

, flakes (from tuna), and seaweed () over medium heat. The liquid is then cooled, strained to remove the flakes, and finally the juice of one or more of the following citrus fruits is added: , , , , or

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

. Commercial is generally sold in glass bottles, which may have some

sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sa ...

. is traditionally used as a dressing for (lightly grilled, then chopped meat or fish) and also as a dip for (one-pot dishes) such as . It is used as a dip for sashimi. In the Kansai region, it is offered as a topping for .

References

{{Japanese food and drink Japanese condiments Sauces Citrus dishes Japanese words and phrases

See also

References