In the previous post Pantry Essentials for Japanese Home Cooking – Part 1, I explained the traditional fundamental seasonings of Japanese cooking – sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and miso (SaShiSuSeSo). Here in Part 2, I listed the remaining essential pantry items that will make your Japanese dishes more authentic.
I also included nice-to-have items that I sometimes use in my recipes. In the section Wrapping Up at the very end of this post, I listed all the pantry items that I included in both part 1 and Part 2 of Pantry Essentials for Japanese Home Cooking. Each item has a hyperlink so that you can jump to the article of the item easily.
Today’s post is quite long but I hope the contents are useful to everyone.
Japanese rice
Rice is the staple crop of Japan. It is a short grain rice that’s stickier than most, with a subtly sweet taste. That stickiness makes it ideal for scooping up with chopsticks, for bento (Japanese lunch boxes), and for shaping into Onigiri (Japanese Rice Ball).
There are many types of rice available in Japan, and the majority of Japanese people eat two types of rice.
Uruchimai (粳米) – this is the normal Japanese short grain rice that people eat every day or use to make vinegared rice for sushi. Japanese people simply call it ‘okome’ (お米), which means rice.
Mochigome (餅米) – sticky rice or glutenous rice that is used to make Rice with Azuki Beans (Osekihan), mixed rice (takikomi gohan) and rice cake (omochi). Mochigome grain is whiter than that of uruchimai (see the middle and right photos below comparing the difference).

From left to right: A bag of mochigome, mochigome grains, uruchimai grains.
Varieties of uruchimai
There are hundreds of varieties of normal Japanese short grain rice (uruchimai) in Japan. Of these, I have listed some that made it to the top group in popularity and a couple of noteworthy varieties.
Koshihikari (コシヒカリ) – the most popular and widely used species is Koshihikari. My family is fond of Koshihikari, the cultivar that’s super-popular in Japan. You can find various brands of Koshihikari here in Australia. The Australian brand SunRice produces Koshihikari rice.
Of the Koshihikari rice produced in many regions in Japan, the rice grown in the Uonuma (魚沼) area of Niigata prefecture is the most popular Koshihikari at the moment. Uonuma Koshihikari is tasty because the climate, soil, and water are best suited to the rice.
From the original Koshihikari species, several new varieties of rice were developed. Some of the popular ones are: Akitakomachi (あきたこまち), Hitomebore (ひとめぼれ), Hinohikari (ヒノヒカリ) and Milkyqueen (ミルキークイーン). Each of them has unique characteristics that are different from Koshihikari.

From left to right: Koshihikari, Akitakomachi, Hitomebore.
Sasanishiki (ササニシキ or ささにしき) – known to be best suited for sushi. Sushi chefs in Japan are fond of this brand. Sasanishiki rice is less glutenous than other species, so the sushi rice does not become sticky when you mix sushi vinegar in the rice. Unfortunately, Sasanishiki rice suffered from the extreme cold weather from 1980 to 1983 and the farmers had to reduce production of Sasanishiki rice significantly.
Tsuyahime (つや姫) – this is my favourite rice. The cooked rice is whiter and shinier than other varieties. In addition to the appearance, it has a good balance of sweetness, umami, and stickiness. It was developed from the mutant of Koshihikari that appeared 4 generations earlier. Tsuyahime also ranks very high in popularity among Japanese people.
Yumepirika (ゆめぴりか) – the origin of this species is not the same as Koshihikari. This rice was specifically developed to grow in Hokkaido (the northernmost of Japan’s main islands).

From left to right: Sasanishiki, Tsuyahime, Yumepirika.
Yumepirika Story
It was a common understanding that growing rice in Hokkaido was impossible due to the severe cold weather. But agriculture scientists and farmers in Hokkaido challenged the difficulties and created the brand which gained a very high popularity ranking.
The development started in 1997. After overcoming not only technical challenges but also the severe damages of the crop from the cold weather, it finally made a debut in 2011. Since then, Yumepirika has been ranked as the top class uruchimai every year.
The name ‘yumepirika‘ is a combination of words that came from the dream (‘yume’, 夢) of the people in Hokkaido and ‘pirika’ (ピリカ), which means beautiful in Ainu (indigenous people of Hokkaido) language. What an inspiring and lovely brand name!
Where to Buy and where to store
You can buy some of these at Japanese/Asian grocery stores. Although Sasanishiki rice is not as readily available as Koshihikari, you can still buy Sasanishiki at some Japanese/Asian grocery stores. Some other varieties mentioned above are also available, including Tsuyahime. Grocery stores stock different rice brands imported from Japan. It is worth visiting a few stores to see what is available.
As mentioned earlier, Tsuyahime is my favourite, but I am intending to try Yumepirika for a change. In general, the more expensive rice is better and more popular among Japanese people.
Storage: Rice does not like sunlight, humidity and high temperature. The best temperature to store rice is 15°C / 59°F. Put your rice in a tightly sealed container and place it in a cool and dark place. You can also place the container in the fridge to store – vegetable compartment is the best.
Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
Katsuobushi (鰹節) is finely shaved flakes of dried bonito that looks bizarrely similar to wood shavings! Strictly speaking, katsuobushi means a block of dried bonito fillet. You shave a block using a special katsuobushi shaver to make bonito flakes. The real name of the shaved flakes is kezuribushi (削り節).

Katsuobushi (dried bonito), katsuobushi shaver and the shaved bonito (kezuribushi).
When I was a child, each household had a special shaver and made kezuribushi from a katsuobushi every day before making miso soup or other dishes using dashi stock. Now that you can buy shaved katsuobushi in packets and hardly anybody makes kezuribushi from a block of dried bonito, the word ‘katsuobushi’ has become interchangeable with kezuribushi.
The most prominent use of katsuobushi is in dashi, an essential staple in Japanese cooking. Katsuobushi flakes have a mild and pleasantly salty taste. When you soak katsuobushi in water and simmer it, you will get a slightly yellowish flavoursome dashi.
You can also sprinkle katsuobushi as a topping over foods like Okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancakes), Takoyaki Recipe (Octopus Balls), cold sides such as Chilled Tofu (Hiyayakko) 4 Ways and salads.
Where to Buy and where to store
You can buy kezuribushi in packets at Japanese and Asian grocers. Keep in the freezer for optimum freshness. I keep a large bag of bonito flakes as well as a bag of smaller packs, only for convenience.
Storage: You need to avoid oxidisation and humidity. Once you have opened the pack, use it up within 1 week or store in a zip lock bag and keep in the fridge for 1 month. Freezing is the best method of storing kezuribushi. You can keep it up to 6 months.
Konbu (kombu)
Konbu (昆布) is a dried kelp packed with glutamates, which give dashi its rich umami. The very best konbu comes from Hokkaido in northern Japan. Depending on the origin of the konbu, the texture, colour, and even the flavour of the konbu is different. Some of them are slimier than others. The following varieties are all from Hokkaido.
Rishiri konbu (利尻) – it is very thick and great to make dashi. It is also used to make shaved konbu called ‘toroo konbu’ (とろろ昆布).
Makonbu (真昆布) – it comes from the Hakodate area in Hokkaido. It is a thick and wide high quality konbu. It contains a delicate sweetness, which makes a clean tasting dashi. Makonbu is also used to make tororo konbu.
Rausu konbu (羅臼昆布) – it is brownish and very soft. The dashi stock out of Rausu konbu is slightly yellowish with full of umami and sweetness. Rausu konbu is considered to be the king of konbu because of the quality of the konbu. It is also a most expensive konbu due to the limited sea areas to harvest from.
Hidaka konbu (日高昆布) – the colour of Hidaka konbu is blackish green. It is thin, soft and fast to cook. Japanese/Asian grocery stores usually sell Hidaka konbu. Hidka konbu is usually cheaper than the other three varieties.

Left: Makonbu, right: Hidaka konbu.
The most commonly used dashi, awase dashi is made with konbu and katsuobushi. Konbu dashi is stock made with konbu alone and is an excellent meat-free alternative for vegans and vegetarians. Reconstituted konbu is also eaten in simmered dishes or in cold salads in Japan.
Where to Buy and where to store
Although there aren’t many varieties of konbu sold in Australia, you can buy packs of uncut konbu at Japanese/Asian stores. You may also try Korean kelp as an alternative (thumbnail photo below). It looks very similar to the Japanese konbu and much cheaper.
I have Makonbu and Hidaka konbu so that I can use them for different purposes, but you don’t need to have two kinds.
Storage: Konbu does not like moisture. Place it in a zip lock bag, seal it after removing air, then store in a pantry.
Mirin
Syrupy and golden-coloured, mirin (味醂 or みりん) is made from sticky rice. It contains 40-50% sugar and 12-14% alcohol. Mirin is used to give a natural sweetness to the dish, to prevent vegetables from breaking easily, to eliminate fishy smells, and to glaze ingredients.
There are two types of mirin available – real mirin and artificial mirin. Real mirin normally has the label “Hon Mirin” (本味醂 or 本みりん) to distinguish it from artificial mirin.
You can also buy artificial mirin called ‘mirinfū chōmiryō‘ (みりん風調味料). It is usually labelled ‘Mirin Seasoning’. It is not made from rice but syrup and glucose with 1% alcohol.

From left to right: Hinode brand hon mirin, Takara brand hon mirin, Obento brand mirinfū chōmiryō (artificial mirin).
Where to Buy and where to store
You can buy mirin at Japanese/Asian grocery stores and some supermarkets. I use real mirin and my choice of brands are Hinode, Takara, and Manjo, whichever I can find.
Storage: Store real mirin in a dark place at room temperature. Do not put it in the fridge as the sugar in the mirin crystallises. However, in the case of mirinfū chōmiryō, you need to store it in the fridge because of the low alcohol %.
Sake (or Rice Wine)
Sake (酒) is used liberally in Japanese cooking to remove the fish/meat smell as well as to add depth to the flavour of the dish. Along with dashi, mirin, and soy, it’s a key savoury flavouring in many broths and soups.
You can buy sake that is used only for cooking. It is called ryōri-shu (料理酒) meaning ‘cooking sake’. The photos below are both ryōri-shu. I normally use ryōri-shu and it is cheaper than drinking sake.
The important thing to remember though is that most ryōri-shu contains salt. So, you might want to take that into account if you are using a large quantity of it. But these days, cooking sake with zero salt is readily available. If you can, I would recommend using zero salt ryōri-shu, like the left bottle in the photo below.

Left: Takara brand cooking sake with zero salt, Right: Cooking sake containing salt.
Where to Buy and where to store
Ryōri-shu is available at any Japanese/Asian grocery stores or even supermarkets.
You can of course use drinking sake for cooking in place of ryōri-shu. Because of the different production process of drinking sake, it gives a better flavour and fragrance to the dish. Don’t waste your expensive boutique drinking sake for cooking, though! Cooking sake is much cheaper and perfectly acceptable for use.
I used to use Mizkan brand cooking sake which contains salt. But now I exclusively use Takara brand cooking sake with zero salt.
Storage: You can keep cooking sake in a dark cool place. If you are keeping it much longer than 2 months, tightly close the cap and store it in the fridge.
Sesame oil
Goma abura (胡麻油) is sesame oil in Japanese. It is extracted from sesame seeds and Japanese people adore the nutty, toasted flavour of this strong, aromatic oil. It’s used sparingly in dressings and for finishing, and occasionally as a cooking oil to sauté. That said, some high-end tempura restaurants even fry in sesame oil!
The most commonly available sesame oil is dark brown but there are a couple of different types of sesame oil too.
Goma abura (胡麻油) – Goma abura is dark sesame oil. You may also call it toasted sesame oil or brown sesame oil. Goma abura is made by roasting white sesame seeds, which are then pressed to obtain sesame oil. Depending on the degree of roasting and the pressing methods, the darkness of the brown can vary.
Shiro goma abura (白胡麻油) or Taihaku goma abura (太白胡麻油) – This is white sesame oil. You may also call it light sesame oil or plain sesame oil. The colour of white sesame oil is yellowish clear, like the colour of rice vinegar. It is made without roasting the white sesame seeds. Accordingly, the nutty flavour of the sesame is almost non-existent.
The flavour of white sesame oil is neutral, so the best use of shiro goma abura is for salad dressing, frying and baking cakes. If you want to add a sesame flavour do not use white sesame oil.
Kuro goma abura (黒胡麻油) – All the sesame oils are made from white sesame seeds, unless they are specifically labelled as ‘kuro goma abura’, indicating that the oil is made from black (kuro) sesame seeds (goma).
The flavour of the sesame oil made from black sesame seeds is even stronger than that of brown sesame oil.

From left to right: Kuki brand shiro goma abura (white sesame oil), Kuki brand goma abura (brown sesame oil), Carwari brand white sesame oil.
Where to Buy and where to store
Japan-made sesame oil brands like Kuki and Kadoya are the most authentic, but any mild Korean or Chinese brands are also good alternatives. You can buy sesame oils at supermarkets and Japanese/Asian grocery stores.
Unfortunately traditional Japanese kuro goma abura is not readily available in Australia. However, Carwari sells kuro goma abura along with other types of sesame oil. Carwari has extra virgin sesame oil (right photo above) which looks like shiro goma abura, but unlike the white sesame oil mentioned above, its flavour is just like brown sesame oil.
You may see ‘Black Sesame Oil’ on the label of the bottle of sesame oil, but it is usually made from roasted white sesame seeds, not from black sesame seeds. So, don’t be mistaken.
I use Kadoya brand dark sesame oil mostly but I also have Taihaku goma abura from Kuki and Carwari brand extra virgin sesame oil. I can see different uses for each type of sesame oil.
Storage: Compared to other types of oil, sesame oil keeps flavour well for a long time. Store at room temperature in a dark place and avoid humidity. If your house is extremely hot and humid, you can keep sesame oil in the vegetable compartment of the fridge. Sesame oil will produce a white substance at the bottom and become harder when it becomes as low as 4°C / 39.2°F.
Nice to Have
In this section, I list pantry items that are handy to have. They are time savers and/or useful in many ways. Some of them can be made at home but I included them as time savers.
Shio Kōji (塩麹)
Shio Kōji (photo below) is made by fermenting rice grain kōji with salt and water for 7-10 days at room temperature. During the fermentation process, starches from the rice are converted into sugar, which gives Shio Kōji a slightly sweet and salty flavour.
When you marinate meat or fish (or even vegetables) in Shio Kōji, starches and protein are broken down, producing sugar and amino acid, which makes the ingredients full of umami. It also tenderises meat. Marinating meat and tenderising it are by far the most common uses of shio kōji, like my Shio Kōji Pork Sauté recipe.
Instead of marinating chicken in a traditional way to make Karaage Chicken, you can marinate chicken in shio kōji. I posted grilled marinated fish dishes such as Saikyo Yaki and Salmon Mirin Zuke. You can instead marinate fish in shio kōji. It will give you quite a different flavour to the fish.
Other than using Shio Kōji as a marinade, you can also use it in place of salt in many dishes (with an extra umami). The amount of salt included in Shio Kōji is 1/5 of the same amount of salt.
Where to Buy and where to store
You can buy Shio Kōji in a bag at Japanese grocery stores or online shops such as eBay and Amazon. There is also a liquid-form of Shio Kōji. You can use it in the same way as the paste-form.
The brands I used are Shinshūichi and Marukome, both of which are also famous for miso.
Storage: Shio Kōji can keep in the fridge for a month. You can also freeze it for 6 months (it never hardens even when frozen).
Shiro Dashi (白だし)
Shiro dashi is a seasoned dashi stock made of sake, mirin, light soy sauce, salt, bonito flakes and konbu (dried kelp). Itis usually made as a condensed dashi stock, and you need to dilute it with water or hot water when using it.
The ratio of shiro dashi to water depends on the type of dish you want to make as well as the brand of shiro dashi. On the bottle, it should indicate the ratio of shiro dashi to water per the type of dishes.
For example, by simply diluting shiro dashi in water, you can make a broth for Oden, Hot Pot, Udon/Soba noodles (Kansai-style), and clear soup. You can also make dashi stock for Chawanmushi, Dashimaki Tamago, and Takikomi gohan (Mixed Rice).
Sometimes you don’t even dilute the condensed shiro dashi and add a small amount of it to give a kick of umami flavour to the dish. My recipes Pickled Cucumbers and Shiitake Mushrooms and Shrimp Flavourd Steamed Eggplants are good examples.
Where to Buy and where to store
These days you can buy a bottle of shiro dashi at not only at Japanese grocery stores but also some Asian grocery stores.
I don’t have a particular brand of shiro dashi I like. Brands such as Yamaki, Ninben, Mizkan, and Marutomo are the brands I have used in the past. They are all good. Each brand has a different condensation level of shiro dashi, so you need to check the usage directions on the label.
Storage: Once you opened it, you need to store shiro dashi in the fridge. Shiro dashi contains fish extracts and other seasonings, so it does not keep for a very long time like soy sauce. It is best to buy a small bottle if possible.
Sōsu (ソース)
When Japanese people say ‘sōsu’, they are talking about something similar to Worcestershire sauce and variations of it.
Japanese people call dark brown sauces (thin or thick) ‘sōsu‘ correctively, and people do not think of other sauces such as tomato sauce, béchamel sauce, BBQ sauce, chilli sauce, etc. Not only that, many people probably think of the famous sauce brand, Bulldog (pronounce it as ‘burudokku’ in Japanese).
There are different thickness and flavours of Japanese dark brown sauces. One brand might have a few different flavours/viscosities. For example, Bulldog brand has three distinct sauces.
Usutā sōsu (ウスターソース) – This is very similar to Worcestershire sauce. Some people use usutā sōsu for cutlets instead of using tonkatsu sōsu. They even pour usutā sōsu over shredded cabbage.
Usutā sōsu is also used for stir-fried vegetables with/without meat. Simply stir-fry ingredients and add some sauce to season.
Tonkatsu sōsu (とんかつソース) – This was made specifically to pour over Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Schnitzel) or other crumbed deep-fried dishes such as Korokke (Japanese Potato and Ground Meat Croquettes), Menchi Katsu (Ground Meat Cutlet), and Deep-fried Horse Mackerel (Aji Fry). It is the thickest and the sweetest fruity sauce of the three Bulldog sauces.
Chūnō sōsu (中濃ソース) – This sits between the other two sauces in both flavour and thickness. The word ‘chūnō‘ (中濃) means medium thickness. I used this sauce for Takoyaki Recipe (Octopus Balls).
Other brands such as Kagome also sell the three kinds of sauces with the same name, but the flavours are slightly different from that of Bulldog brand. Other brands you might be able to find include S&B and Ikari. They all make three types of sōsu mentioned above.
Where to Buy and where to store
You can buy sōsu at Japanese/Asian grocery stores as well as supermarkets.
I stock three kinds of Bulldog sauces at all times.
Storage: These Japanese sauces contain vinegar, sugar and salt, so they don’t go bad quickly. But I recommended that you keep the sauce in the fridge.
Wrapping Up
This is the end of Pantry Essentials for Japanese Home Cooking which went over two posts. The list of pantry essential items that I talked about does not cover all the ingredients I have used in my recipes, but you can cook quite a lot of dishes with them.
When buying these items included in the posts, try to get products made-in-Japan if possible. They tend to be more expensive, but the quality of the products are great and you will not be disappointed.
Here is the sample photos and the list of items that I included in Part 1 & Part 2 (this post) of Pantry Essentials for Japanese Home Cooking.
- Satō (Sugar)
- Shio (Salt)
- Su (Vinegar)
- Shōyu (Soy Sauce)
- Miso
- Dashi
- Japanese Rice
- Katsuobushi (Bonito Flakes)
- Konbu (Kelp)
- Mirin
- Sake
- Sesame Oil
- Shio Kōji
- Shiro Dashi
- Sōsu
Happy Japanese Cooking!
Yumiko
Hello Yumiko
Just had to send you a note Thanking you for this wonderful information and fabulous recipes
As we have severe nut allergies in our house, Can you advise me on the use of nut products in Japanese cooking? Do any of the staples have nuts ( almonds, peanuts ) as a base item ?
I would love to buy the authentic items
Thank you again for the inspiration to cook these dishes.
Hi Judy, as far as I am aware, none of the pantry essentials I listed in Part 1 & 2 contains nuts as a base item. However, if your family member is allergic to sesame as well (apparently some nuts allergy can include sesame), then sesame oil is no good, obviously.
Unlike some Asian countries such as Thai, Japanese cuisine does not use nuts very often. Pine nuts, ginko nuts, or walnuts might be included in the recipe but they are usually added as part of main ingredients, rather than ground to make sauce/paste like the cooking in Southeast Asian countries.
Thank you, Yumiko! Thieve posts were so helpful. Very much appreciated! Julie
You are most welcome, Julie. I am glad that it is useful.
Hi Yumiko!
Arigato! Thank you so much for teaching us about the wonderful but often mystifying Japanese products. Dare we hope for a part 3 😜?
Hi Bebe, you are most welcome. Part 3? There might be, but it won’t be soon.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything in detail. My family loves Japanese food so this information is very helpful when it comes to buying ingredients as I never know which brand is good. Thanks Yumiko!
Hi Charlotte, happy to hear that the posts are useful!
This second article is worth it’s weight in gold and if people take note
they will achieve great results. Many thanks for your time and sharing.
Maureen
Hi Maureen, thanks for your positive feedbacks on both posts.
what an awesome couple of posts! I love the detail you put into all of your posts, but these past two are so wonderful! We shop at two different Asian food stores, and always wondered which brands etc are best to use for Japanese cooking, so this will be so helpful! And as always, the details are the icing on the cake. I love how you explain things! Looking forward to your next post and also looking forward to trying more of your recipes!!