Honey Mustard Has 10x The Flavor When Paired With This Japanese Sauce

As popular as it is, honey mustard often seems like an afterthought rather than a star in the world of flavor profiles. While honey mustard is the key to getting a perfect, beautifully flavorful crust on your prime rib, the point of using it doesn't seem to be the honey mustard flavor. There's nothing wrong with that, but this flavor combo is too delicious not to receive the love it deserves. One great way to show it some appreciation is with a few splashes of soy sauce.

Another background character in the flavor world, soy sauce is the secret to creating restaurant-worthy soup, it gives marinades beautiful umami, and it adds that extra oomph of flavor to dips and dressings. It works especially well with honey mustard since soy and honey create a complex, luscious blend of sweet and salty married by earthy flavors, while soy and mustard build a tangy union balanced by astringence and mild spice. Together, they create a sauce with rich, multidimensional layers of flavor.

The great thing about this combo is how easy it is to bring together. You need a maximum of three ingredients (less if you choose a high-quality brand of honey mustard to keep in your fridge): just a few teaspoons of soy sauce, and ½ cup to 1 cup of honey mustard. It packs a bold, salty punch.

Everyone's tastes are different, so the balance of flavors in this sauce is largely based on your preferences. If you love a tangy honey mustard with barely there sweetness, add about half as much honey as mustard and whisk in just a splash of soy sauce to keep it from tasting too salty. For those who love a sweet, sticky version, add a few tablespoons more honey than mustard with a touch more soy sauce; a honey-forward blend can hold more saltiness without becoming overwhelmed.

If you're looking for a way to really amp up the flavor of your honey mustard-glazed roasted ham central to family gatherings, soy sauce and honey both pair beautifully with many styles of mustard. Most honey mustard blends start with ordinary yellow mustard, but you can switch things up by using Dijon, brown, or basically any other type of mustard you like. Both Dijon and brown are spicier than yellow, which is mellowed by honey and pushed into deep, savory richness by soy sauce.

This could also be a fun combination with novelty mustard flavors, such as cranberry and other fruit-infused mustards, or dill pickle mustard. You might also use dark, deeply earthy buckwheat honey instead of ordinary wildflower options. All of these take on the salt and earthy, umami nuttiness of soy sauce and use it to deepen and intensify existing flavors.