A tare is what gives ramen most of its salty, umami flavor. Shoyu in Japanese translates to soy sauce; therefore this tare has a soy sauce base. For added glutamic acid, the amino acid that gives umami its unique taste, we gently steep kombu (seaweed), katsuobushi (skipjack tuna “bonito” flakes), and niboshi (dried baby sardines) in a soy sauce, mirin, and sake mixture. These ingredients can be found in most Asian markets and easily online.
Regular soy sauce will work, while a lighter usukuchi is a better match, as is will keep the broth light in color. While some prefer to individually steep the ingredients in water, I’ve found the taste subtlety not worth the added steps. Also, if you prefer a lighter in color broth or cannot find the necessary ingredients, a quick and easy shio (salt) tare may be a fine substitute. For the shio tare, dissolve 2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG) in 2 ½ cups simmering water.
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup usukuchi soy sauce (regular soy sauce is a fine substitution)
2-3 sheets dried kombu
¼ cup niboshi
¼ cup katsuobushi
1 Tbsp + 1 teaspoon Sake
2 Tbsp mirin (sweetened sake)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Heat water, soy, sake, and mirin to just below simmer
- Add brown sugar, stir to dissolve
- Add kombu, katsuobushi, and niboshi
- Keep just below simmer for ten minutes
- Strain
- Use right away at a ratio of about 3 tbsp per 2 cup of broth, or store refrigerated for up to 6 months. Tare improves with age.