Vegan Japanese Pantry Guide

My Vegan Japanese Pantry Guide is a list of vegan friendly Japanese ingredients and products that I actually use in my own kitchen!

Do you want to cook more authentic vegan Japanese food but don’t know what to buy?

Or perhaps, you simply want to explore more vegan Japanese food using different ingredients and combination of flavors that you’ve never tried before, this will be the place :-) 

You will see insight on products origin, share some tips, what to pair certain ingredients with, how/why I use the ingredients and most importantly the flavor!

I select all the products based on my personal preference focused on the taste and quality. That means some items may not be the most budget-friendly option. However, I can assure you that you won’t regret trying those. When it comes to cooking, my philosophy is always “use the best quality ingredients as possible.” 

Of course, you’re more than welcome to use similar products to suit your needs in your kitchen. 

More items are coming soon so make sure to check back :-) 

Japanese Rice

Japanese Rice

Japanese-style meals can’t be complete without a bowl of rice. Rice is a staple in Japanese cooking and eaten at every meal. In this post, you’ll find some of my recommendations and how to eat rice. Rice: The Heart of Japanese Food Culture What type read more

Wasabi (Japanese Horseradish)

Wasabi (Japanese Horseradish)

Wasabi (Japanese Horseradish) might be one of the most known Japanese condiments which you have probably seen on the side of sushi. This iconic Japanese condiment isn’t just for sushi also, there are some different types of wasabi you can buy. Wasabi is widely available read more

Maitake Mushrooms

Maitake Mushrooms

Maitake Mushroom is one of the popular mushrooms in Japanese cooking that’s great for side dishes, main dishes, from rice to noodles just about anything. If you’re looking for a different kind of mushroom to incorporate into your Japanese food, maitake might be your next read more

Ponzu Sauce (Japanese Citrus Soy Sauce)

Ponzu Sauce (Japanese Citrus Soy Sauce)

Ponzu Sauce (Japanese Citrus Soy Sauce) is a soy-sauce based Japanese condiment that tastes savory, tangy, and aromatic with a subtle umami taste in the background. It’s one of the staples in Japanese cooking that you can use as a dipping sauce, pour over sauce read more

Green Shiso (Perilla Leaves)

Green Shiso (Perilla Leaves)

Green Shiso (Perilla Leaves) is a green leafy Japanese herb that’s uniquely fragrant and refreshing. It’s one of those Japanese produce (ingredient) that may not be widely known outside of Japan but once you experience the taste, you’ll know that you won’t find the same read more

Neri Ume (Pickled Ume Plum Paste)

Neri Ume (Pickled Ume Plum Paste)

Neri Ume (Pickled Ume Plum Paste) is a multipurpose vegan Japanese food product that you can use for just about anything! The saltiness and sourness of pickled ume plum adds a fruity, refreshing but strong accent to dishes. Neri Ume will be your next item read more

Natto (Japanese Fermented Soybeans)

Natto (Japanese Fermented Soybeans)

Natto is Japanese Fermented Soybeans which is a major part of the Japanese diet and it’s super healthy for you. Natto is naturally vegan and such an iconic Japanese food that you may not be familiar with. Actually, natto isn’t a pantry item but you read more

Takanotsume (Dried Hawk Claw Chili Peppers)

Takanotsume (Dried Hawk Claw Chili Peppers)

Takanotsume (Dried Hawk Claw Chili Peppers) is a type of hot & spicy chili pepper commonly used in Japanese cooking. Although Japanese cuisine isn’t really known for spicy food, the hawk claw chili peppers (takanotsume) can be seen as one of the ingredients for spicy read more

Aonori (Dried Green Seaweed Flakes)

Aonori (Dried Green Seaweed Flakes)

Aonori is Japanese dried green seaweed flakes that you may have seen on top of okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes) and yakisoba (Japanese stir-fried noodles.) It’s naturally vegan, low in calories and rich in nutrients such as minerals and vitamins. Aonori should be one of  the read more

Smoked Soy Sauce (Kunsei Shoyu)

Smoked Soy Sauce (Kunsei Shoyu)

If you are looking for another type of soy sauce but not tamari or ponzu, Smoked Soy Sauce (Kunsei Shoyu) may be the next item that’s missing in your vegan Japanese pantry! There are a couple of different types of soy sauce you may want read more