Soy sauce mixed seasoning base, Kaeshi.
Why do old Japanese restaurants with long history taste good?
Why are they that different from new restaurants though the ingredients are same?
Because they use expensive high quality ingredients?
Because they are good, so they managed to continue the business for a long time?
Maybe.
In fact one of the biggest differences is their seasoning base called Kaeshi.
Kaeshi is the principal Japanese seasoning base made from mainly soy sauce.
Cook soy sauce and other seasonings together, then age to "round the edge".
Cooking sauce of many of Japanese dishes consists of Kaeshi and Dashi(Kombu or Shiitake stock).
Of course there's no problem to use soy sauce directly.
But this process, making kaeshi makes a big difference.
In old restaurants, they never empty the container of Kaeshi.
When it gets to around 1/3, they add 2/3 newly made Kaeshi.
This means a 100 year old restaurant has Kaeshi that has been being aged for 100years!!
(Most of restaurants that use a lot of kaeshi such as noodle places top up as much as they use and recook everyday!)
Every restaurant has their own ratio.
A Tempra place has Kaeshi adjusted for their Tempra, a noodle place has kaeshi adjusted for their noodles, etc etc...
Sadly many people nowadays just buy ready to cook sauce for each dish in supermarkets for daily cooking though, some good home cooking chefs still make Kaeshi at home, but usually just one kind which is versatile, and use it in various kind of dishes.
In East Japan(Tokyo), dark soy sauce(Koikuchi-shoyu,濃口醤油）based one.
Tastes stronger than Usukuchi, the color is dark.
In West Japan,(Kyoto) light soy sauce(Usukuchi-shoyu,薄口醤油）based one.
Tastes gentle, the color is lighter than Koikuchi.
You can choose according to your taste.
I usually keep both in very versatile ratio in my kitchen.
Here are my recipes!
Koikuchi Kaeshi(Tokyo)
(Good for Soba noodles, Tempura dipping sauce, Teriyaki, etc etc)
200ml Mirin
150g Sugar
1000ml Dark soy sauce
Pour Mirin in a sauce pan, cook to burn off the alcohol, then turn off.
Add sugar, stir to melt.
Add soy sauce, heat it to 85℃.
Turn off immediately when it gets to 85℃(Just before it gets to simmer)
let cool, cover with gauze or kitchen cloth, let sit overnight.
Transfer into a bottle, let sit for 2weeks.
Usukuchi Kaeshi(Kyoto)
(Good for Udon noodles, vegetable stew, Hot-pot, etc etc...)
500ml Mirin
500ml Light colour soy sauce
Pour Mirin in a sauce pan, cook to burn off the alcohol.
Add soy sauce, heat it to 80~85℃.
Turn off immediately when it gets to 80~85℃.
Let cool, cover with gauze or kitchen cloth, then let sit overnight.
Transfer into a bottle, let sit for 2weeks.
* I usually let them age at room temperature. If you are worried, it is OK to keep in the fridge.
* If you make "Top up" type of kaeshi, cook the old kaeshi too sometimes.
