Umami Boosters

Unlock and enhance the ‘fifth basic taste’ with our range of umami boosters – Japanese ingredients that bring out the rich, savoury and meaty flavours of dishes like broths, ramen, sushi, stir-fries and more. From smoked soy and kombu seaweed to black garlic and mushroom powders, each ingredient is selected to intensify savoury depth and add harmony to  your cooking.

Shop our range of umami boosters today – including sauces, marinades, seasonings and even fresh ingredients – to kick your home-cooked dishes up a notch. 

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A glass jar of Wasabi Powder - 23g from The Wasabi Company, with a black lid and dark label, is centered on a white background, offering authentic Japanese spicy flavor for your dishes.
Wasabi Powder - 23g
From £4.95
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White Miso - 500g: A Japanese miso paste in a clear-lidded container with Japanese text. Ideal for miso soup or recipes needing delicate umami flavor.
White Miso - 500g
£7.95
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A 40g green and white bag of Wadakyu Katsuobushi Bonito Flakes (Katsuwonus pelamis), ideal for dashi stock, with Japanese and English text on the front.
Wadakyu Katsuobushi, Bonito Flakes
From £4.95
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A 210ml clear glass bottle of Smoked Soy Sauce with a gold cap and beige Japanese label, offering cherry wood smoke flavor, umami notes, and a barcode.
Smoked Soy Sauce - 210ml
£10.50
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A clear plastic bag of Okinawa Sugar from Murakami Syouten (500g) with Japanese text and contact info printed on a white label on the front.
Okinawa Sugar from Murakami Syouten - 500g
£7.95
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A 150ml bottle of Smoked Soy Sauce with a black cap and label is centered on a white background, providing a rich, smoky flavour thats vegan friendly.
Smoked Soy Sauce - 150ml
From £8.95
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A brown resealable pouch labeled Wasabi Label Togarashi Shichimi Spice Mix 100g on a plain white background.
Wasabi Label Togarashi Shichimi Spice Mix
From £7.95
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Organic Tonkatsu Sauce - 175g, in a white-capped bottle with Japanese text on a white label, sits on a plain white background—an ideal way to bring authentic Japanese flavor to your dishes.
Organic Tonkatsu Sauce - 175g
£4.95
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A 75g square plastic container of Black Garlic Sea Salt - 75g from South West Garlic Farm, with a barcode on the front and a unique flavour.
Black Garlic Sea Salt - 75g
£3.95
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A clear plastic bag of Wadaman Furikake Sesame & Shiso (30g) with a beige label featuring Japanese text, a purple shiso leaf, and hints of toasted sesame seeds.
Wadaman Furikake Sesame & Shiso - 30g
£3.50
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Yakiniku Barbecue Sauce - 300ml comes in a bottle with a black cap, featuring Japanese text, a cow illustration, and visible sesame-flavored sauce—ideal for elevating your Japanese cuisine experience.
Yakiniku Barbecue Sauce - 300ml
£5.95
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A 50g plastic tub of Black Garlic (Peeled Cloves), featuring a barcode and ingredient info on the lid. Peeled and ready to eat, this versatile seasoning offers a rich balsamic vinegar flavor.
Black Garlic (Peeled Cloves) - 50g
£4.95
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A square plastic container labeled Black Garlic Bulbs - Each from South West Garlic Farm, Dorset, holds a single bulb and features product info on a black background highlighting its unique fermentation process.
Black Garlic Bulbs - Each
£4.25
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On sale
Rishiri Wild Kombu Seaweed comes in a clear plastic package with a white Japanese label, ideal for making rich, flavorful dashi stock.
Rishiri Wild Kombu Seaweed
From £26.50 £231.00
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Vegetable Dashi with Kombu & Shiitake - 300ml: A glass bottle of vegetarian dashi featuring Hokkaido kombu and shiitake mushroom, with a gold cap and a green and white label in Japanese and English, offering the rich umami of traditional Shiro Dashi.
Vegetable Dashi with Kombu & Shiitake - 300ml
£6.50
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A 70g bottle of Umami-so Miso Seasoning with Sesame, featuring a dark cap and patterned label—ideal as a natural umami seasoning or paired with Umami-so Sesame for enhanced flavor.
Umami-so Miso Seasoning with Sesame - 70g
£4.95
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Shiitake Mushroom Powder - 40g comes in a clear pouch with Japanese text and a small red logo. Made from forest-grown shiitake, it’s ideal as a natural flavour enhancer, adding deep, rich umami taste to your dishes.
Shiitake Mushroom Powder - 40g
£5.95
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A small 8g clear bottle of Ground Japanese Sansho Pepper with a green cap and green label featuring Japanese text, known for its citrusy flavor—a staple seasoning in Japanese cuisine.
Ground Japanese Sansho Pepper - 8g
£5.80
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A 70g bottle of Umami-so Miso Seasoning with Yuzu, featuring a dark green cap and red-black design, labeled MISO パウダー and containing natural umami concentrate, isolated on a white background.
Umami-so Miso Seasoning with Yuzu - 70g
£4.95
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The Umami-so Miso Seasoning - 70g comes in a brown plastic container with white and colored dots, labeled “MISO パウダー,” and delivers natural umami miso flavor, photographed on a plain white background.
Umami-so Miso Seasoning - 70g
£4.95
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A small clear bottle of Umami-so Powder with Ume & Yuzu (90g) features a white label with Japanese text and MISO SPICE in English, topped with a white and pink cap—a zesty umami seasoning with hints of yuzu.
Umami-so Powder with Ume & Yuzu - 90g
£5.50
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A black bowl of Green Budo Sansho Berries - 25g, dried and aromatic with a citrus scent, viewed from above on a white background.
Green Budo Sansho Berries - 25g
£17.50
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A clear plastic bag of Wadaman Furikake Shoyu Sesame 30g with a beige label showing Japanese text and an illustration of a wooden container with a ladle.
Wadaman Furikake Shoyu Sesame 30g
£3.50
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A brown resealable pouch labeled Karashi Mustard Powder - 50g stands behind a small dish filled with vibrant yellow Japanese mustard powder, highlighting the bold flavors of traditional Karashi mustard.
Karashi Mustard Powder - 50g
£4.95
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What are umami boosters?

Translated as ‘pleasant savoury taste’, umami has been prevalent in Japanese cuisine for centuries, even before ‘umami’ as a concept was discovered. The delicious taste of umami was finally attributed to glutamic acid – an amino acid – in the early 20th century by a Japanese chemist. 

As one of the five basic tastes, umami is the savoury, meaty flavour that comes from amino acids and protein, and is commonly found in broths and cooked meats. Our Japanese 'umami boosters' are an incredible shortcut to add deep savoury flavour to meat dishes, stir-fries, soups and more.

Examples of umami seasoning in other food cultures might include Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, tomato paste, malt vinegar or fish sauce (often activated with lemon juice). For example, Worcestershire sauce is very similar to many Japanese umami boosters – it’s a fish-based sauce used to enhance the savoury meat flavours of steaks, hamburgers, and even Welsh rarebit! 

However, whilst Japanese umami boosters and ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce are similar, umami ingredients in Japanese cooking are often more delicate and complex. This is because Japanese cuisine tends to focus on minimalism and simplicity, letting each flavour shine through rather than being overpowered by one another.

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Award Winning

Great Taste Award Winners 5 Years Running
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We use 100% recylable packaging for all our orders
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We grow our wasabi in Dorset & Hampshire in South-West England
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Free Delivery

On all UK orders over £75
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Frequently asked questions

Many of our umami boosters are completely vegan, including our wasabi powder, miso paste, soy sauces, shiitake mushrooms and black garlic. Even though umami boosters are often used on meat, they also pair wonderfully with vegan foods such as tofu, seaweed, and mushrooms to enhance their hearty, savoury flavour. 

We also offer vegan dashi (shiitake mushrooms are used in the place of fish), but  always make sure to check the nutritional information on our products before you buy.

Umami boosters are used across a wide range of Japanese recipes, making them an incredibly versatile ingredient and a key addition to your pantry. For example, soy sauce is commonly used with sushi, as well as with various types of meat, fish and vegetables – like in this steak bowl recipe, this ramen dish, and even this salad recipe!

Miso paste is another popular umami booster, but whilst it’s commonly used for miso soup, this isn’t the only way you can incorporate it in your cooking. At The Wasabi Company, we have many different miso recipes to help you use this amazing ingredient in new ways, including our miso-glazed cod recipe, this shiitake and miso risotto, and even desserts such as miso caramel – adding a savoury kick to balance the sweet flavours and enhance their depth and complexity.

If you’re looking for amazing recipes where you can really taste the power of our umami boosters, why not browse The Wasabi Company recipes, or if you’re after  something different, why not check out our cookbooks and create something you’ve never tried before? 

Yes – all of our products have a full list of ingredients on their individual product page, with nutritional information included and possible allergens highlighted.

The shelf life of our umami boosters depends on the product; however, many umami boosters are designed to last a long time after opening – particularly sauces and seasonings. Keep containers out of direct sunlight and always properly close them after use to keep your sauces and seasonings for as long as possible. 

Umami boosters such as shiitake mushrooms and garlic may not last as long as sauces and seasonings and may need to be kept refrigerated. Always follow the instructions on the label or product page to keep your umami boosters fresh for longer. 

At The Wasabi Company, we often have offers and discounts for many of our products – so check out our offers page to see what great discounts we have on right now! Many of our products are available in larger formats which offer substantial savings.

UK customers who order over £75 worth of products automatically get free delivery.

Yes, customers who are local or are going to be in the area, can select “Pick Up At Store” at checkout and  collect their orders directly from our distribution centre, located in Waddock Cross, Dorchester, Dorset. Orders placed Monday to Thursday 11am can be collected the next day between 8.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. 

Contact hello@thewasabicompany.co.uk to find out more. You can also find your nearest stockist right here.

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