Japan's New Hot Sauce

Japan has a long list of new and traditional ingredients that have been popularized into mainstream supermarkets in North Amercia and Europe.  Some of these top ingredients used in Western countries are teriyaki sauce (a healthy choice), Japanese soy sauce, seaweed, wasabi, and most recently mayo [Japanese-style].  What is interesting is that some of these ingredients have come from the West (mayonnaise) and introduced to Japan many years ago where they have been  tweaked for the Japanese pallete. 

Hot Stuff Coming Through Nippon

One ingredient that has been hitting the Japanese market is hot sauce.  Tabasco sauce is the new kid in the block of Japan.  Spicy food is not really common in many Japanese dishes, but many do add hot sauces to dishes like curry, donburi and tonkatsu.  Like I mentioned in my intro paragraph, any new ingredient that have been introduced to the Japanese people have been tweaked in flavour.

So this new Tabasco sauce has a secret ingredient that may sound not as delicious as an ingredient in a sauce.  And this ingredient is pickled plums (umeboshi) and it is gaining popularity.  This hot sauce has been given the name of Scoume.   It is only found in Japan currently and is used on many types of Japanese food like tofu as well as Western foods such as fried chicken, spaghetti and pizza.

The plums are locally grown and it is not the only secret ingredient used in Scoume.  It also has Yuzu zest (citrus), chili and syrup.  It can be currently purchased for 540 Yen per bottle online at Wakayama.