128-year-old Japanese company caters to growing Muslim demand with new alcohol-free sauce
A family-run, 128-year-old freshwater fish wholesaler in Japan is on a mission to bring the traditional taste of “kabayaki” (grilled eel) to the world by creating an alcohol-free version of its iconic, caramelized sauce.
In Japan, grilled eel is a beloved summer delicacy, but its traditional sauce, which is made with sake and mirin, contains alcohol.
This has long been a stubborn barrier, preventing its export to Muslim-majority countries where Halal certifications prohibit alcohol consumption.
The new project, led by the wholesaler Koihei, aims to create a new sauce that retains the rich, deep flavor of the original without using any alcohol.
“We want everyone to enjoy this taste steeped in history and tradition,” says sales manager Yoichi Matsui, who is leading the project.
The idea began in June 2023 at a food exhibition, after the Koihei team was repeatedly asked by distributors from Southeast Asia and the Middle East: “Do you have a sauce without alcohol?”
Recognizing the demand, a development team was formed in July 2024 to create a sauce that was not only alcohol-free but also gluten-free, to accommodate customers with wheat allergies.
The team’s initial attempts, which were stripped down to just soy sauce, salt, sugar, and starch syrup, lacked the signature richness and depth of the original.
To solve the problem, Matsui organized a company-wide tasting survey of roughly 70 employees and sought advice from the company’s veteran craftsmen.
A breakthrough finally arrived in May of this year.
The team managed to create a new sauce with an alcohol content below 0.5%, a level that falls comfortably under the “less than 1 percent” standard for import approval in many Muslim countries.
A recent crowdfunding campaign for the new sauce was met with praise from backers, who called it “authentic” and said it “holds its own against the original.”
Despite this success, some employees have mixed emotions about altering a recipe that has been passed down for five generations.
“Changing a sauce filled with the spirit of our predecessors isn’t easy,” one commented.
For now, the alcohol-free sauce is positioned for the overseas export market, but Matsui has not ruled out replacing the existing version in Japan.
“There’s still room for improvement,” Matsui said. “We want to keep making daily refinements until we reach a goal that satisfies.”
Source: The Mainichi
Images: © Koihei Co., Ltd
This post may contain affiliate links, and Essential Japan may earn a commission if you purchase through them.
