One of the most popular kinds of ramen is shoyu ramen, which often uses a broth seasoning base called tare, which may include dried kombu seaweed, mirin, sake, sugar, niboshi (dried baby sardines), katsuobushi (tuna that's been dried and smoked), and soy sauce. This sauce, however, has countless uses beyond ramen.

Shoyu tare is like a Japanese "mother sauce" that can be put to use in yakitori grilled chicken, salmon teriyaki, and burger recipes for a major boost in rich savory-sweet flavor. It makes a great marinade, glaze, dipping sauce, garnish, and more, and you can start by adding a few spoonfuls at a time to your dish to test it out.

Shoyu is also very customizable, and you can enhance the sauce with ginger, garlic, or dried shiitake mushrooms for earthy, spicy, or sweeter variations. Shoyu tare can take on a different identity depending on which ingredients you utilize, which means even more interesting flavors for homemade ramen, side dishes, and hearty entrées.