Wafu Dressing is a popular and beloved condiment in Japan. Its blend of soy sauce and sesame seeds is flavorful and has a lighter texture compared to many common dressings in the West.
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What is Wafu Dressing?
Wafu Dressing is a Japanese salad dressing primarily made from soy sauce, along with ingredients like oil and vinegar. "Wafu" means Japanese-style. While it can be called "wafu dressing" if it includes Japanese ingredients such as umeboshi (salt-pickled plums), shiso leaves (perilla), wasabi, yuzu (a type of citrus fruit), or sudachi (a type of citrus fruit that resembles a lime), it is most commonly associated with toasted sesame seeds in Japan.
This recipe also calls for toasted sesame seeds. If you have them on hand, you can make this dressing easily and quickly. Even if you only have raw sesame seeds, it doesn't require much extra effort; you just need to toast them.
Type of vinegar to use
The vinegar typically used in wafu dressing is rice vinegar. By using rice vinegar, you achieve a milder and smoother acidity in the dressing. Although you can substitute it with other types of vinegar, such as white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, they will result in stronger acidity. Therefore, I highly recommend using rice vinegar.
Optimal oil choice
The best choice of oil to use is one that doesn't have a strong flavor. Using a neutral oil allows the flavors of soy sauce and sesame seeds to stand out.
By the way, if you use flavored sesame oil in wafu dressing, it becomes a "Chuka Dressing" (Chinese-style dressing). Interestingly, this flavor was actually created by a Japanese manufacturer, despite its name, because there is no tradition of consuming raw vegetables in China.
Wafu dressing varieties
In addition to dressings like the one in this recipe, such as "Goma Dressing" (made mainly from ground sesame seeds or sesame paste), "Shiso Dressing," and "Wasabi Dressing," they can also be broadly referred to as "wafu dressing."
However, each of them boasts a unique flavor profile, and in Japan, they are recognized by the specific names mentioned above, distinct from "wafu dressing."
📋Step-by-step recipe
Ingredients
- ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
🕒 Total: 2 mins
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.
Recipe card
Wafu Dressing (Japanese Salad Dressing)
Ingredients
- ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients (toasted sesame seeds, neutral oil, sugar, rice vinegar, and soy sauce) in a bowl and whisk everything together.
Notes
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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