CREATION OF UMAMIX SAUCE

In 1993, CEO of AJI & Associates, Inc, Ken Usui began his cooking journey. He first began his training at a Chinese restaurant "Enzan-Hanten" in Yotsuya, Tokyo.

Later, he was taught the local chili sauces and seasonings by fellow chefs who trained together in various places such as Tokyo, NY, Sydney, LA, especially chefs from Myanmar and Thailand. Chef Ken thought that if he can control this spiciness, he would be able to create a sauce that will match with Japanese dishes, Chinese dim sum dishes, or anything else. Because UMAMI was included in those seasonings and sauces. The most important seasoning is a fermented seasoning called “魚醤” (fish sauce), which is famous for nampla in Thailand, Vietnamese nukmum and shottsuru in Japan. That umami and unique flavor are the characteristics of UMAMIX and also the origin of the name.

Soon after the establishment of NIKUMAN-YA, Chef Ken created the ever popular "Yaki Takana Manju". Each order was served with a side of UMAMIX. UMAMIX also comes with their signature product "Cheese Pork Buns". With the gaining popularity, customers began asking if they can purchase the sauce separately. Therefore, Ken first began selling UMAMIX in separate cups, and eventually created the 12 oz bottled versions.

Chef Ken also started experimenting at home with UMAMIX and realized that not only does it tastes amazing with pork buns, but also complements other Japanese cuisine such as pork shabu-shabu or any "Nabe Ryouri" Hot pot dishes.

A one for all sauce that complements all types of cuisine!

Try mixing it in olive oil, vinegar, and other seasonings, to create your own UMAMIX flavor.

Enjoy UMAMIX!
With much love, NIKUMAN-YA