When I first moved to Australia, I assumed I would need to go to a Japanese grocery store to cook proper Japanese food at home. But it turned out to be much simpler than that.

You can find the three essential ingredients of Japanese cooking - soy sauce, mirin and sake right at your local Coles or Woolworths.

These three bottles are the base of so many Japanese dishes, from teriyaki to noodle soups. Once you have them in your pantry, cooking Japanese food at home feels much more approachable.

Here is what to look for on your next supermarket shop.

Japanese Soy Sauce (Shoyu)

Soy sauce is made from soybeans, wheat, salt and koji. Many cultures have their own versions, but Japanese soy sauce has a softer, more balanced flavour that makes it especially useful in home cooking.

In Australia, the easiest one to find at Woolworths and Coles is usually Kikkoman soy sauce in the Asian foods aisle. It is widely available, reliable and easy to cook with, which is why many people start with this one.

In Japan, the most common type of soy sauce used for everyday cooking is called koikuchi shoyu. This is the standard soy sauce used for things like teriyaki, simmered dishes and marinades.

You will probably also see Less Salt and Gluten-Free versions in the supermarket. Those can be useful too, but if you are only buying one bottle to start with, a regular soy sauce is the most versatile.

Another soy sauce I sometimes use at home is Yamasa soy sauce. It has a clean, well-balanced flavour and works well for everyday Japanese cooking.

Mirin

Mirin is a sweet rice wine used in Japanese cooking. It gives dishes their gentle sweetness, but it also adds shine and a kind of roundness that is hard to get from sugar alone.

That is why teriyaki sauce tastes different when you cook with classic Japanese ingredients like soy sauce, mirin and sake. Mirin does more than make a sauce sweet. It helps bring everything together.

In Australia, you will often see mirin-style seasoning in major supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths, usually in the Asian foods aisle. These are easy to find and work well for everyday home cooking, especially for dishes like teriyaki.

If you are looking for a more traditional style mirin, one brand I often see in Australia is Spiral Foods mirin. I don’t usually see it in big supermarkets, but I often find it in health food stores, organic shops and smaller grocery stores. It is made from rice and koji and has a deeper flavour than mirin-style seasoning, so you only need a small amount to make a difference in your cooking.

Cooking Sake (Ryorishu)

Cooking sake is the final piece of this trio. It is one of those ingredients that can seem small, but it makes a real difference in the background.

In Japanese cooking, sake helps tenderise meat, soften strong aromas, and add a gentle depth to sauces and marinades. You may not always notice it directly, but you can usually tell when it is missing.

Woolworths and IGA often stock Obento cooking sake in the Asian foods aisle. Coles sometimes carries it too, although it can vary by store.

One small thing to keep in mind is that some cooking sakes sold in Australian supermarkets contain added salt. It is not a problem, but it is worth remembering so you do not accidentally over-season your dish.

If I run out of cooking sake, I often use dry white wine instead, especially for my teriyaki chicken. It works surprisingly well. Dry sherry can also be a good substitute. I would just avoid sweet cooking wine if you want a flavour that stays closer to Japanese home cooking.

How These Three Ingredients Work Together

The real magic is in how these three ingredients work together. Teriyaki sauce is a simple example. At its most basic, it is just:

• soy sauce
• mirin
• sake

(some people use a little sugar as well. I often use honey.)

When these ingredients come together, the flavour is deeper and more balanced than anything you get from most store-bought teriyaki sauces.

This simple Teriyaki Chicken recipe is a great place to start, using the classic balance of soy sauce, mirin and sake.

Making Japanese Cooking Work in Australia

These three ingredients are often described as the foundation of Japanese cooking. But cooking Japanese food in Australia is not about chasing perfection.

It is about finding a balance between authenticity and practicality, and learning how to cook in a way that still feels true to the food, even when you are cooking with ingredients you can find in Australia.

On this site, I share simple Japanese recipes, smart substitutions for Australia, and practical guides to help you cook Japanese food at home.

With a few key ingredients and a bit of flexibility, it is absolutely possible to cook delicious Japanese food at home in Australia.

- Tomoka