Homemade Mentsuyu Noodle Soup Base

INGREDIENTS

½ cup sake

1⅛ cup mirin

1 cup soy sauce

1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (5 g;  5 x 5 cm per piece)

1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (for vegetarian/vegan or substitute 2 dried shiitake mushrooms)

1. In a saucepan, add ½ cup sake, 1⅛ cup mirin, and 1 cup soy sauce.

2. Add 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) and 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).

3. Slowly bring it to a boil over medium-low heat.

4. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it cool.

5. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.

6. This Mentsuyu is concentrated. In general, the mentsuyu-to-water ratio should be 1:2 for a dipping sauce for cold Zaru Soba or Tanuki Udon and 1:4 for Udon Noodle Soup or Soba Noodle Soup. Please adjust the taste of your dipping sauce or soup broth by adding more mentsuyu or water.

Tip: Making Mentsuyu at home is as easy as combining all the ingredients in a pot and letting it simmer down to a concentrated sauce. You can store it in a mason jar and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a month. The sauce will come in handy when you need it to season your favorite noodle dishes.