Okinawa Brown Sugar, a Little-Known Building Block of Japanese Savory Cooking

By Hiroko Shimbo

AN IMPORTANT BUILDING BLOCK of Japanese savory cooking, along with shoyu (soy sauce), miso (soybean paste), rice vinegar, and sea salt, is sugar. A small amount always appears in sushi rice, noodle soup, stock for braising shellfish and meat, and sauces and dressings for parboiled or grilled vegetables. It not only adds sweetness but cuts acidity, bitte…