Teriyaki

Often, the national classic Japanese teriyaki sauce is confused with soy sauce, which is quite similar to it. They are indeed somewhat similar in color scheme. But if you look closely, you can see that teriyaki has a richer color, more juicy shade and viscous texture. Its name consists of the Japanese word “teri”, which means “shine” and another Japanese word “yaki”, which can be translated as “fry”. In fact, foods fried with this flavor take on a shiny, caramelized crust, which is exactly what it means in Japanese. ^[1].

Description of the sauce

Classic Japanese teriyaki sauce is one of the traditional and national dishes in Japan. Its original composition includes soy sauce, sugar or honey, as well as mirin (Japanese rice wine) or sake.

However, it is impossible to find a single recipe for teriyaki, it simply does not exist, since the Japanese consider it not just a dish, but a whole culinary philosophy. Each family in Japan has its own cooking ritual for it, and everywhere it turns out to be varied.

The word “teriyaki” in Japan has more than one meaning. This is not only the name of the sauce, but also a way of frying dishes. The dishes themselves, prepared with the addition of this product, are also called. This sauce has become famous due to its specific taste and original aroma. It goes well with meat, fish and vegetable dishes.

In Japan, it is customary to cook fish and seafood with the addition of teriyaki, and in European countries, meat and vegetables are traditionally fried with it.

By the way, in European cuisine, spices and spices such as ginger, garlic, sesame and others are often added to teriyaki for greater sophistication. And for sweetness and softness, juice from canned pineapples is used.

There are also cases when this very spicy sauce was used to make hamburgers. ^[1].

The composition and nutritional value of the sauce

This Japanese sauce contains a large amount of useful vitamins and minerals. The vitamin composition includes B vitamins (thiamine B1, riboflavin B2, pantothenic acid B5, pyridoxine B6, cobalamin B12), vitamin C and vitamin PP.

The mineral complex is represented by potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, copper, manganese, iron, zinc, phosphorus and sodium.

It also contains ash and water. The energy value of the product is 89 kcal. The protein share is 5,9 grams, and carbohydrates are 15,5 grams ^[2].

Useful Properties

Thanks to the excellent vitamin and mineral complex included in the teriyaki sauce, it has a very great value for the body. It has a positive effect on many important functions of the body and is able to:

• regulate the work of the digestive system;
• improve appetite;
• accelerate and increase the production of gastric juice;
• normalize blood pressure;
• resist depression and nervous disorders;
• improve the functioning of the nervous system.

Teriyaki has significant antioxidant properties that are superior to even antioxidant-rich foods such as orange juice and red wine. Thanks to this, it is able to remove various toxins, toxins from the body and resist free radicals from the environment. In Japan, it has long been considered a flavor of longevity, rightly believing that it can prolong life, prevent early aging of the body. It is also effective for preventive purposes. It is believed that it can prevent the development of cancer.

Frequent use of this sauce has a positive effect on mental abilities and resists the development of chronic neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. ^[2], ^[3].

Cooking application

For culinary purposes, this sauce is used to impart unique flavors to various dishes. He is able to improve the taste of unfamiliar dishes and give zest to new ones. With its help, vegetable stew becomes more interesting, and meat and fish dishes acquire softness and tenderness. It goes well with seafood, turkey, lamb, chicken and veal.

It is also used as a marinade. If the meat is marinated in teriyaki sauce, it will turn out to be tender, soft and give it an exotic taste and delicate aroma of the East.

In order to prepare a dish with this sauce, you need to fry meat or fish in vegetable oil over high heat until crispy. Then add it to hot teriyaki so that the product is covered with it, like a glaze. In the same way, you can cook vegetables and seafood. Grilled dishes with the addition of this sauce are especially tasty.

Teriyaki cooking at home

It is quite difficult to find real teriyaki in stores, and it is not cheap there. But it’s pretty easy to make at home. For this you will need:

• soy sauce – 100 ml;
• sake ‒ 100 ml;
• mirin (dessert wine with added sugar is suitable as a substitute) – 100 ml;
• cane sugar (you can also use white in a slightly smaller amount) – 1 tablespoon.

Mix all the products in a gravy boat or a small saucepan, bring to a boil and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar component is completely dissolved. The finished sauce is halved in volume and has a thick, viscous consistency. As soon as he has reached these indicators, the teriyaki is removed from the fire.

Freshly prepared sauce is considered the best for consumption. But you can also store it in the refrigerator, preferably in a glass container. It has a short shelf life, as the composition contains only natural ingredients.

Harm and Hazardous Properties

It is not recommended to use teriyaki for kidney disease and those suffering from high blood pressure. Also, do not abuse this sauce for pancreatitis, gastric ulcer, cystitis, uronephritis and diabetes.

When buying it in a store, you need to pay attention to the composition of the product, as it may include synthetic dyes and flavors that can harm the human body. If you’re making your own teriyaki, it’s worth purchasing a quality soy sauce for it. Otherwise, even a healthy person can be harmed due to its poor-quality components. ^[3].

Conclusions

Teriyaki is a national Japanese sauce traditionally used for frying food. In the process, the dish gets a characteristic caramel crust, which is formed during the heating of the sugar component of the sauce. Often it is used as a separate seasoning for meat, fish and seafood dishes. Grilled vegetables cooked with teriyaki sauce are delicious. This sauce has many valuable and beneficial properties for the human body. It is able to normalize blood pressure, improve the nervous system, prevent cancer and neurodegenerative pathologies. And the frequent use of this product can relieve depression and nervous breakdowns, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the brain, improving mental abilities.

This wonderful sauce can be prepared at home without spending a lot of physical and material costs. At the same time, when buying a ready-made sauce in a store, you need to make sure of its quality composition so as not to harm your health. It should also be remembered that it is better to use teriyaki with caution for people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys, and may even be completely excluded from the diet. It is not recommended to use it for hypertension and diabetes.

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