Happo-Zu

Name: Happo-Zu
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 520 ml
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 300 ml Water; 150 ml Rice Vinegar; 37.5 ml Sugar; 25 ml Sake; 25 ml Mirin; 15 ml Light Soy; 10 g Kombu

Independent adaptation of a publicly published Takuji Takahashi recipe. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Takuji Takahashi.

Happo-Zu from a starred kitchen.

Ratio

Water 300 mlRice Vinegar 150 mlSugar 38 mlSake 25 mlMirin 25 mlLight Soy 15 ml

Ingredients

Water — 300 ml
Rice Vinegar — 150 ml
Sugar — 37.5 ml
Sake — 25 ml
Mirin — 25 ml
Light Soy — 15 ml
Kombu — 10 g

Method

This sauce is cooked on the stove — the jar is for storing it, not making it.
Cook ingredients gently according to the published technique, adapted here as pantry quantities only.
Finish off heat; adjust seasoning.

Provenance

Takuji Takahashi works in Kyoto kaiseki / sommelier at Kinobu; credentials include Michelin 1* (Kinobu, Kyoto).

Originally published as Happo-zu (All-Purpose Seasoned Vinegar).

Adapted from a Takuji Takahashi recipe (Takuji Takahashi / NHK Kyou no Ryouri (unagi to zucchini no su-no-mono)).

FAQ

Can this go in a shake jar?

No — this one needs a blender or stove, so make it from this page. Jars only carry pour-and-shake sauces.

What do the quantities mean?

Amounts in the ingredient list are from the published source, converted to ml and grams where the ingredient allows. On a jar, every sauce scales to the same fill height.

Where did this recipe come from?

Adapted from Takuji Takahashi / NHK Kyou no Ryouri (unagi to zucchini no su-no-mono) (published as “Happo-zu (All-Purpose Seasoned Vinegar)”). Full citation lives in Provenance.