Tsuyu (mentsuyu)

めんつゆ mentsuyu

Flavor and role

A concentrated Japanese noodle sauce combining soy sauce, mirin and bonito dashi. Just change the dilution ratio to use it for noodle broth, simmered dishes or rice bowls.

Typical dishes and uses

Soba, udon, somen, tempura dipping sauce, seasoning gyudon and oyakodon

Substitutes

1 tbsp tsuyu (3x concentrate) = 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp mirin + 3 tbsp dashi, brought to the boil once.

Storage

Unopened: 1 year at room temperature. Once opened, always refrigerate and use within about 1 month.

Main countries

Japan

Used in this book

Shrimp Tempura OnigirazuKamatama Carbonara Udon

Updated 2026-10-10