Shio Tare (Salt Seasoning)

Name: Shio Tare (Salt Seasoning)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: About 400 ml (1 2/3 cups), enough for 12 to 15 bowls
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 350 ml (1 1/2 cups) water; 50 g (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp) fine sea salt; 60 ml (1/4 cup) sake; 30 ml (2 Tbsp) mirin; 10 g (0.35 oz, one 10 cm piece) dried kombu; 5 g (2 Tbsp, loosely packed) katsuobushi

Fact-checked on paper only. This recipe has not been cooked or tested yet.

Why this works

Shio ramen is the salt-seasoned style. Fun Japan reports that the Hakodate restaurant Yowaken served a dish called Chinese Soba in 1884, said to have been shio ramen [Fun Japan]. The tare relies on clean sea salt and kombu umami instead of the fermented depth of soy sauce. About 50 g of salt in roughly 440 ml of finished liquid is about 11 percent, which suits a tare because the broth will dilute it. This ratio is our own choice and has not been cooked or tested yet.

Yield: About 400 ml (1 2/3 cups), enough for 12 to 15 bowls Times: prep PT5M, cook PT10M, total PT45M (ISO 8601)

Equipment

2 quart saucepan
Fine-mesh strainer
Glass jar with a lid

Ingredients

350 ml (1 1/2 cups) water
50 g (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp) fine sea salt
60 ml (1/4 cup) sake
30 ml (2 Tbsp) mirin
10 g (0.35 oz, one 10 cm piece) dried kombu
5 g (2 Tbsp, loosely packed) katsuobushi

Steps

Warm the water and salt over medium heat, stirring until the salt dissolves.
Add the sake and mirin and simmer 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
Remove from the heat and add the kombu. Steep 20 minutes, keeping the liquid below 170 F (77 C).
Add the katsuobushi and steep 5 more minutes. Allow about 30 minutes of steeping in all.
Strain, discard the solids, and cool completely before jarring.

What to watch for

Iodized table salt can taste harsh. Use fine sea salt or kosher salt.
More than 30 minutes of warm steeping can make kombu slimy.
Judge the salt after it meets broth, not straight from the jar.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed glass jar and use within 1 month. This is house guidance based on the fish steep; it is not a tested shelf life.
Freeze small portions in an ice cube tray if you want it to last longer. Thaw only what you need.

Allergens: Fish (katsuobushi). For a fish-free version, leave it out and use 5 g more kombu.

Pairs with

Chintan, vegan kombu and shiitake broth, or a light tonkotsu. Use 25 to 30 ml per bowl with 300 to 350 ml broth.

Sources

Fun Japan, shio ramen (Yowaken, Hakodate, 1884): https://www.fun-japan.jp/en/articles/12432

Citation links

https://www.fun-japan.jp/en/articles/12432