Sauces you can substitute for Japanese barbecue sauce are ponzu sauce, hoisin sauce and even teriyaki sauce.
You can also make your own Japanese barbecue sauce by combining the ingredients of sugar, ketchup, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, mirin and soy sauce.
Japanese barbecue sauce goes on a variety of foods including dumplings, sandwiches, fried foods, dipping sauce for fried foods and other foods, vegetables, rice, fish, seafood, beef, pork and chicken.
Japanese barbecue sauce also serves well as a glaze for grilling, a marinade or even a sauce for fried rice and stir fries and even as a topping for bowls and burgers.
What makes Japanese BBQ sauce unique is the complex umami rich flavor profile that balances savory, sweet and salty notes as well s the thinner consistency unlike regular BBQ sauce which is thicker.
The other key ingredients in Japanese BBQ sauce like soy sauce, mirin, Japanese sweet rice wine, sugar and aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger and green onion also make Japanese BBQ sauce unique and different from American BBQ sauce.
The difference between Japanese BBQ sauce and regular BBQ sauce is Japanese BBQ sauce has a complex, umami rich, sweet and savory flavor profile that is built on a base of mirin and soy sauce with additions of ingredients like green onion, garlic and ginger.
Regular BBQ sauce or American BBQ sauce is made with a tomato paste or ketchup base and offers a sweeter, tangier and often sometimes a spicier taste that comes from ingredients like spices, vinegar, molasses and brown sugar.
American or regular BBQ sauce is often thicker and richer than Japanese BBQ sauce as well.
And Japanese BBQ sauce is often thinner and free of any thickeners, which makes Japanese BBQ sauce great for dipping, grilling and marinating.
In Japan Japanese BBQ sauce is more for marinating or dipping cooked meat into, versus basting in the American tradition of American BBQ sauce.
Basically what makes Japanese BBQ sauce different from American BBQ sauce is the rich umami flavor profile, more balanced sweet and savory taste and a lighter and often thinner consistency.
Japanese BBQ sauce is rooted in traditional tare sauce that is used for glazing and dipping and commonly includes soy sauce, mirin, sweet rice wine, sugar and fresh aromatic ingredients like ginger, garlic and sometimes a miso paste, which creates a tangy, umami rich and fresh taste.