Tag: Nikiri shoyu

While most Westerners use the same bottle of soy sauce for all purposes, many sushi restaurants in Japan use a special, less salty blend called *nikiri shoyu*. This seasoned version is meticulously prepared by master chefs to complement the delicate flavors of sushi rather than overpower them, a key distinction from standard soy sauce.

Over 80% of domestically produced Japanese soy sauce is a dark, all-purpose variety known as *koikuchi*. However, at a proper sushi restaurant, the dipping sauce is often a subtly seasoned mixture, prompting the question: what kind of soy sauce is served with sushi to enhance the fish's delicate flavors without overpowering them?