Beyond Chili Crisp: Why Umami Everything Is the Next Essential Japanese Flavor Sensation

Azabu Foods
March 17, 2025
Umami Stir Fry - Umami Everything

Move over, chili crisp—there's a new flavor sensation in town.

If you've been riding the condiment wave for the past few years (and who hasn't?), you've probably got a pantry full of hot sauces, mayo variations, and yeah, at least two jars of that delicious chili crisp. But here's the thing about Umami Everything: it's not just another sauce to add to your collection.
It's the one that might make you rethink all the others.

What Exactly Is Umami? Understanding the Fifth Flavor

Let's break this down real quick. We all grew up learning about the four tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. But umami? That's the fifth taste that nobody told us about—probably because it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it.

Umami is that deeply satisfying, savory richness that makes you go "wow, that's good" without being able to pinpoint exactly why. It's what makes mushrooms meaty, parmesan cheese addictive, and soy sauce the backbone of so many dishes. It's not heat, it's not salt—it's that other thing. That depth. That satisfaction.

In Japan, they've been all about umami for centuries. It's not a trend there; it's just how food tastes.
And now, with Umami Everything, that complex flavor profile is bottled up and ready for your kitchen.

Brendan Cravitz, founder of Azabu Foods, holding jars of Umami Everything – The Original and Bold & Spicy – in front of the FOODEX Japan 2025 exhibition in Tokyo.
Azabu Foods' Umami Everything founder at FoodEx 2025 in Tokyo

Meet the Umami Everything Lineup: Two Ways to Experience Japanese Umami

Umami Everything comes in two distinct varieties, each offering a different experience while staying true to authentic Japanese flavors:

Umami Everything – The Original

Rich, bold, and deeply savory, The Original is crafted to take any dish from good to unforgettable. Made in Japan with premium, all-natural ingredients, this umami-packed sauce is slow-brewed for depth and complexity, delivering layers of smoky miso, aged tamari, mineral-rich Okinawan salt, and crispy Japanese leek and garlic.

The secret to its deep, smoky intensity comes from the fermentation process of miso and tamari, creating a natural smokiness and roasted depth. A touch of Japanese sansho pepper adds a citrusy, slightly numbing tingle, while aromatic spices round out the complexity.

Not overly spicy, but rich, satisfying, and packed with Japanese depth, it's an irresistible umami bomb that keeps you coming back for more.

Umami Everything – Bold & Spicy

Like The Original, but with an extra kick. Bold & Spicy cranks up the heat with Japanese chili peppers and a more pronounced sansho presence along with a hint of wasabi. Sansho, a rare Japanese pepper, delivers a bright, lemony zing with a tingling sensation similar to Sichuan peppercorns, creating an electrifying depth of flavor.

Crafted with the same premium, all-natural ingredients as The Original, it's bold, fiery, and electrifyingly delicious, balancing deep umami with just the right amount of heat. Whether you're a heat seeker or an umami lover, this sauce delivers an unforgettable taste experience—spicy, smoky, and packed with Japanese depth.

Jars of Azabu Foods’ Umami Everything – The Original and Bold & Spicy – surrounded by fresh ingredients including maitake mushrooms, green onions, dried chili peppers, sesame seeds, and yuzu, highlighting the bold Japanese flavors of the condiments.
Umami Everything. All Natural. All Flavor. Everything you want.

What Makes Japanese Umami Sauce Different From Other Condiments?

Here's the deal: Umami Everything isn't trying to set your mouth on fire or overwhelm you with garlic.
It's built differently, with ingredients that work together to create something complex:

  • Smoky miso: Giving you that fermented depth that makes you want another bite
  • Wood aged tamari: Bringing the umami backbone without the sodium overload
  • Okinawan salt: Adding mineral complexity that regular salt just doesn't have
  • Sansho pepper: Creating this wild citrusy, slightly numbing sensation that's completely different from chili heat
  • Japanese Red Chili: Adding the perfect amount of flavor and spice.
  • Crispy Negi (Japanese leek) and garlic: Adding texture and aromatic depth
  • As well as other carefully selected all natural ingredeints.

That sansho pepper is the secret weapon here. If you've never had it, it's like Sichuan peppercorn's cooler Japanese cousin. It doesn't burn; it tingles and brings this bright, citrusy note that balances everything else.

The result? A sauce that transforms food without hijacking it. It's not about overwhelming your taste buds like some hot sauces.
It's about making everything taste more like itself, but better.

10 Ways to Use This Best Umami Condiment (That You Probably Haven't Thought Of)

The beauty of Umami Everything is that it works on, well, everything. But here are some ways to use this savory Japanese sauce that might not be obvious:

1. Elevate Your Bowl Game with Japanese Flavor Enhancers 🍜

Drizzle it over rice or noodles. Seriously, that's it. Even the most basic bowl of white rice becomes restaurant-worthy with a few drops of this stuff. Try it on ramen , udon, or just plain rice—you'll see what I mean.

2. Transform Breakfast with Umami Everything 🥑🍳

Let's be honest: breakfast can get boring. But a little Umami Everything on your avocado toast or scrambled eggs? Game-changer. The sansho pepper wakes up your mouth in a way that coffee wishes it could. Did someone ask for the best breakfast burrito ever?

3. The Ultimate Dumpling Sauce for Japanese Flavors 🥟

Forget that plain dipping sauce that comes with takeout dumplings. This is what your gyoza has been waiting for. The complex savory notes complement the filling while the subtle heat cuts through the richness. Try the Bold & Spicy version for an extra kick.

4. Create Japanese-Italian Fusion Pasta 🍝

Mix a teaspoon into your pasta sauce. It's the secret ingredient that makes people go "what IS that?" in the best possible way. It works with tomato sauce, cream sauce, even just olive oil and garlic.

5. Make Plant-Based Proteins Flavorful with Umami Sauce 🌱

Use it as a marinade for tofu, tempeh, or mushrooms. The complex umami flavors penetrate these ingredients and give them a meaty satisfaction that's hard to achieve without, you know, meat.

6. Instant Ramen Enhanced with Japanese Umami 🍜

We've all been there—it's late, you're hungry, and that packet of instant ramen is calling your name. Add a spoonful of Umami Everything to the broth, and suddenly you're not eating sad dorm food; you're having a legit meal.

7. Create Memorable Dips with Savory Japanese Flavors 🥣

Blend it into hummus, yogurt dips, or mayo. The depth of flavor makes regular dips seem one-dimensional by comparison. The Original works beautifully for subtle depth, while Bold & Spicy adds a kick that wakes up your taste buds.

8. The Umami Sandwich Enhancement That Works 🥪

Spread it thinly on sandwiches—yes, even peanut butter sandwiches. The savory notes against sweet jam create this sweet-salty-umami trifecta that's surprisingly good. Don't knock it till you've tried it.

9. Perfect Soups with Miso Yuzu Chili Sauce 🍲

You know when you're making soup and it just tastes... flat? A spoonful of Umami Everything is usually the answer. It's like turning up the volume on all the flavors that were already there.

10. Craft Savory Cocktails with Japanese Influences 🍹

A few spoonfuls in a Bloody Mary instead of traditional bloody mary mix takes it from standard to spectacular. The subtle heat and brightness from the sansho pepper work surprisingly well with tomato juice and spirits. Try Bold & Spicy if you want your cocktail to have a real kick.

A young woman in a grocery store aisle scanning a bottle of soy sauce with her phone, likely researching ingredients or comparing products. Shelves stocked with various bottles of soy sauce and condiments line the background.
Shopping for new flavors. Soy sauce has long been a staple. Now Chili Oils, Chili Crisps and Umami Everything have arrived.

Why Americans Are Embracing Japanese Umami Flavors

America's a bit late to the umami party. Japan's been celebrating this flavor profile forever, while we've been over here avoiding MSG and calling fermented foods "exotic."

But that's changing fast. American palates are evolving, and the obsession with one-dimensional heat is giving way to an appreciation for complexity. We're finally realizing that food can be bold without being overwhelming.

Chef Mike Sullivan, an early tester of Umami Everything, shares: "I've been using chili crisp on everything for years, but this brings something different—it's like discovering a whole new layer of flavor that I didn't know was missing. My customers have been asking what my secret ingredient is."

That's the thing about good umami—once you experience it, you start noticing its absence everywhere else.


Where to Find the Best Umami Sauce in the US

If you're thinking "this sounds great, but where do I buy it?" here's the deal: Umami Everything is hitting the US market this fall, but you can get a head start if you're in Los Angeles. We're doing a limited release in select specialty stores throughout LA beginning this April. Follow our socials to find out where.

For everyone else, keep an eye on the Azabu Foods website for online ordering info coming soon or join our mailing list. Trust me, it's worth the wait.

The Bottom Line on This Japanese Flavor Revolution

I'm not saying Umami Everything is going to change your life. But I am saying it might change how you think about flavor. It's not just another hot sauce or chili oil—it's a different approach to making food taste good.

With its perfect balance of smoky miso, aged tamari, premium salt, and that remarkable sansho pepper, it's the condiment that does what others can't: it makes everything taste more like itself, but better.

Whether you choose The Original for its rich, balanced depth or Bold & Spicy for that extra kick, you're getting an authentic Japanese flavor experience that goes beyond anything else in your pantry.

Ready to join the umami revolution?
Watch for Umami Everything in specialty stores this spring and nationwide this fall. Your taste buds will thank you.
Make sure to ask your local grocer for Azabu Foods, Umami Everything!

And your chili crisp? It might get jealous.