Create allergy card
← Browse ingredients

Ponzu

Japanese citrus and soy sauce used as a dip and dressing.

Ponzu — illustrative ingredient image

About Ponzu

Ponzu is a Japanese citrus seasoning used as a dipping sauce, dressing, and finishing sauce. Plain ponzu is citrus juice or vinegar blended with seasonings, while ponzu shoyu is the familiar soy-containing version; the two are related but differ in saltiness and savoury depth.

It is tart, aromatic, and refreshing, with citrus acidity at the centre. Soy-containing versions add salt and umami, and some formulations include dashi, mirin, sugar, or other seasonings. The liquid is generally thin and pourable, though sweetness and intensity vary among preparations.

Ponzu is usually sold as a ready-made liquid in bottles. It can be served cold with dumplings, grilled meat, seafood, or tofu, mixed into dressings, or added after cooking; dilution, heating, and added aromatics alter its sharpness and balance.

Ingredient type
sauce

FOLLOW IT TO THE PLATE

Where will you meet it?

Explore the dishes that use this ingredient and their country and cuisine connections.

Explore linked dishes

ON A MENU OR LABEL

Find local names and written forms to help recognise this ingredient.

See local names

Where ponzu appears

0 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Food connections are still being added.

No linked foods are available for this ingredient yet.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for ponzu

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

ponzu

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Ponzu nutrition & diet

Ponzu nutritional value

Seasoning sauce, ponzu vinegar with soy sauce — MEXT 17110

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the explicitly named reference form.

Calories
49kcal
Protein
3.4g
Carbs
7.4g
Fat
0.1g

Per 100 g edible portion. Values use MEXT 2023 with March 2026 corrections; the English food name is matched by food code from the official English edition. Carbohydrate is total carbohydrate by difference. Values in parentheses in the source are estimates reported by MEXT. This reference does not cover other preparations or brands.

Portions & preparation

Interpret ponzu by the exact product or recipe, since the name may describe a citrus-seasoned soy sauce or a broader sauce family. Match the portion used for dipping, dressing, or cooking, and distinguish strained liquid from versions containing pulp, sweeteners, or suspended solids.

Compare the right form: Match references to the specific ponzu brand or recipe, identifying citrus used, soy presence, sweeteners, stock, and whether solids remain.

Diet considerations

Ponzu is not a single uniform dietary formulation. A soy-and-citrus version is generally plant-derived in its main ingredients, but dashi, fish, shellfish, honey, or other animal additions can change compatibility. Sweetened formulas and serving size create a different carbohydrate pattern from unsweetened citrus-seasoned soy sauce.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 2023 supplement, corrected March 2026 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .