Momoya, Kimchi Sauce Concentrate, 450ml
Momoya's Kimchi no Moto: the Japanese kimchi base since 1975. Toss it through cabbage for kimchi in minutes, or use it as a hot, garlicky seasoning. 450g.
Kimchi no Moto (キムチの素) is a ready-made kimchi seasoning from Momoya, the Tokyo condiment maker. It is a thick, bright red sauce of coarse and fine chilli, raw garlic, ginger, apple and mandarin, with a seafood extract for depth. Momoya makes it without heat treatment to keep the garlic and chilli sharp. Mix it with salted cabbage and you have quick, fresh-style kimchi without weeks of fermenting; use it straight and it is a punchy seasoning for stir-fries, hot pots, marinades and dips.
Why Chefs Choose This
- Kimchi in minutes: toss with salted Chinese cabbage, cucumber or daikon for a fresh-style kimchi the same day.
- Layered heat: coarse and fine chilli together give both a quick hit and a slower, rounder warmth.
- Fruit and garlic: apple and mandarin soften the heat; raw garlic and ginger keep it lively.
- One bottle, many jobs: works as a marinade, a hot-pot base, a stir-fry sauce and a dip without extra work.
How to Use
- Quick kimchi: salt and drain cabbage, then mix in the sauce to taste; eat straight away or chill overnight.
- Kimchi nabe: stir into dashi with pork, tofu and vegetables for a warming kimchi hot pot.
- Stir-fries and rice: add to pork and vegetables in the wok, or to fried rice and noodles.
- Mayo and dips: stir a spoonful into mayonnaise for a spicy dip or burger sauce.
Momoya (桃屋) was founded in Tokyo in 1920 and is known across Japan for jarred condiments. Kimchi no Moto came about after the company's president saw kimchi selling well in supermarkets in San Francisco and Los Angeles on a trip to the United States. Rather than copy a Korean recipe, he asked his team for an original seasoning base, and after a year of trials it launched in 1975. Within its first year it outsold the company's pickled shallots, until then a flagship. It began as a seasonal product for home-made cabbage kimchi and became a year-round seasoning once Japanese cooks started using it in stir-fries, dips and kimchi nabe. キムチの素 means, simply, kimchi base.
Learn more: Japanese Sauces
How hot is Momoya kimchi base?
Properly spicy, but not brutal. The chilli comes in two grinds, so there is an immediate warmth on the tongue and a slower heat that builds as you eat. Garlic is the next thing you notice, fresh and pungent because the sauce is not cooked. Behind that sit sweetness and a little fruit from apple and mandarin, salt, and a savoury seafood depth. Mixed through cabbage the heat spreads out; used neat as a seasoning, a teaspoon goes a long way.
Product Details
| Type | Kimchi seasoning base (キムチの素, kimchi no moto) |
| Brand | Momoya (桃屋), Tokyo, founded 1920 |
| Launched | 1975 |
| Key Flavours | Chilli, raw garlic, ginger, apple, mandarin, seafood extract |
| Net Weight and Format | 450g glass bottle |
| Heat | Medium to hot |
| Storage | Cool, dark place before opening; refrigerate after opening |
| Best Used As | Quick kimchi, kimchi nabe, stir-fries, marinades and dips |
How do I make kimchi with it?
Cut Chinese cabbage into bite-sized pieces, salt it and leave for an hour or so, then rinse and squeeze out the water. Mix in the kimchi base to taste, starting with a few tablespoons for a quarter of a cabbage. It is ready to eat straight away as a fresh kimchi, and the flavour deepens after a night in the fridge. The same method works with cucumber, daikon or spring onions.
Is this the same as Korean kimchi?
No. It is a Japanese seasoning, developed by Momoya in the 1970s for Japanese home cooks, rather than a traditional Korean recipe. It gives you the flavour of kimchi quickly, but it is not a long-fermented kimchi. It is closer to a fresh kimchi, or geotjeori, in style. For many dishes, such as kimchi nabe and stir-fries, that is exactly what you want.
How should I store it once opened?
Keep it in the fridge with the lid tightly closed and use a clean spoon each time. Because it is made without heat treatment, the fresh garlic and chilli are at their best in the weeks after opening. Some separation in the bottle is normal; stir or shake before use.
Ingredients and allergens
Ingredients: Water, salt, garlic, glucose syrup (corn), apple, flavour enhancer: E621, vinegar, mandarin orange, red pepper, pickled vegetables, bonito stock (fish), squid extract (molluscs), hydrolysed soy protein, dried bonito (fish), citric acid.
Allergen information is taken from the manufacturer's import specification; always check the pack before use.
SKU : X0051