Wafu Dressing (Japanese Salad Dressing)

Wafu Dressing is a beloved classic salad dressing in Japan. Its blend of soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds is flavorful and has a lighter consistency compared to many common dressings in the West.

Wafu Dressing is a Japanese-style salad dressing, typically made with natural oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. "Wafu" means Japanese-style. While it can be considered "wafu dressing" when it includes Japanese ingredients such as umeboshi (salt-pickled plums), shiso leaves (perilla), wasabi, yuzu (a type of citrus fruit), or sudachi (a citrus fruit similar to lime), it is most commonly associated with soy sauce and often includes toasted sesame seeds.

This recipe also calls for toasted sesame seeds. If you have them on hand, you can make this dressing surprisingly quickly and easily. Even if you only have raw sesame seeds, it doesn't take much extra effort-you just need to toast them.

Let's talk a bit about the vinegar used in this dressing.

The vinegar typically used in wafu dressing is rice vinegar. Rice vinegar is the most common type of vinegar in Japan, and using it gives the dressing a gentler, smoother acidity.

While you can substitute it with other types of vinegar, such as white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, they tend to create a sharper, more intense acidity. That's why I highly recommend using rice vinegar for this dressing.

When it comes to the oil used in wafu dressing, a mild one is usually the best choice. Using a neutral oil allows the flavors of soy sauce and sesame to shine through.

By the way, in Japan, there is also a version made with toasted sesame oil instead of a neutral oil, prepared in much the same way as wafu dressing. However, this version is not called wafu dressing-it is known as chuka dressing (Chinese-style dressing). Interestingly, it was actually created by a Japanese manufacturer, despite its name, since raw vegetables are not traditionally eaten in China.

In addition to the basic soy sauce-based wafu dressing featured in this recipe, there are also other variations-such as goma dressing (a sesame dressing made primarily with ground sesame seeds or sesame paste), shiso dressing, and wasabi dressing-which are broadly categorized as "wafu dressing."

Each has its own distinct flavor, so in Japan, they are typically recognized by their specific names rather than simply as "wafu dressing." Since all of these are classic Japanese dressings with traditional flavors, if you are interested, be sure to check out the linked pages and give them a try.

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1
Combine all the ingredients (toasted sesame seeds, neutral oil, sugar, rice vinegar, and soy sauce) in a bowl and whisk everything together.

To store

You can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.