Japanese cuisine requires specific ingredients and sauces that are not always easy to find. In this article, you will find our suggestions of substitutions of ingredients to be able to cook Japanese food at home.
- To begin with, where to find Japanese ingredients around you ?
- Substitute ingredients for Japanese cooking
- Substituting Japanese sauces and vinegars
- Replacing Japanese dried foods and vegetables
To begin with, where can you find Japanese ingredients in around you ?
- First of all, in Asian grocery stores, Japanese or Korean, you will find products imported from Japan.
- In big stores, you can find a small Japanese section. For fruits, vegetables and mushrooms, we recommend exotic supermarket which is well stocked depending on the period.
- In organic stores, Japanese ingredients take place in their shelves and it’s organic too!
- If you don’t have any of this near you, you can also order on the internet.
Substitute ingredients for Japanese cooking
Please note that this list is to be used only if you have no choice. These substitutions will not give all the flavors of authentic Japanese cuisine.
Substitutions for Japanese sauces and vinegars
Mirin
You can replace the mirin by 1 teaspoon of sake or water + 1 teaspoon of white sugar or honey. The idea is to find the light sweet taste that mirin brings.
Sake for cooking
You can replace the sake you can replace the cooking wine with dry white wine. We use this substitution regularly and honestly we don’t feel the difference on some preparations.
Rice vinegar
You can replace the rice vinegar by white vinegar with a little sugar to sweeten it.
Japanese soy sauce
The japanese soy sauce shoyu has a particular taste but can be replaced by diluted Tamari soy sauce. We do not recommend Chinese soy sauces, which are too strong.
Ponzu
You can replace the ponzu sauce by shoyu soy sauce + yellow or green lemon juice.
Miso (fermented soybean paste)
Unfortunately the miso cannot be replaced. We do not recommend Korean miso either, the taste is different. If you are allergic to soy, there is chickpea miso paste. You can also find dehydrated miso in organic stores.
Dashi
The dashi is unfortunately not replaceable, but you can make it at home. There are also vegan dashi made with shiitake mushrooms and kombu seaweed.
Bull Dog sauce
You can replace the Bull Dog sauce by Worcestershire sauce with ketchup and a little sugar.
Substitute Japanese dry foods and vegetables
Japanese rice
You can replace the Japanese rice with Italian risotto rice, but we do not recommend long rice such as basmati rice.
Panko
You can replace the panko with classic breadcrumbs, but the texture will be less light.
Daikon
You can replace the daikon with long turnip.
Great burdock
The great burdock can be replaced by root vegetables such as carrot.
Kabocha pumpkin
You can replace the Japanese Kabocha pumpkin with classic pumpkin.
Negi
The negi is close to green onion, leek or chive.
Shiso
Nothing will replace the taste of shiso so unique. But you should know that sometimes gardening stores sell shiso plants. Don’t hesitate to buy some in this case
Japanese sweet potato
You can replace it by classic sweet potato by adding sugar or mirin.