also: しょうゆダレ · しょうゆタレ · しょうゆたれ
soy-based sauce; soy sauce-based dipping sauce or glaze
A sauce made primarily from soy sauce, often with mirin, sugar, sake, or dashi, used as a dipping sauce, marinade, or glaze in Japanese cooking. Common in dishes like teriyaki, yakitori, and various nimono.
Grill the yakitori after brushing it with a sweet and savory soy-based sauce.
This soy-based sauce also goes well with sashimi.
つゆ is typically a thinner, broth-like dipping sauce for noodles or tempura, whereas 醤油だれ is thicker and used for grilling, simmering, or as a condiment.
Standard mixed kanji-kana spelling; commonly used in recipes and menus.
Katakana ダレ is often used for emphasis or stylistic effect in commercial contexts.
Variant with full-width katakana タレ; less common but seen in some packaging.
All-hiragana たれ variant; sometimes used for a softer appearance.
Kanji 垂れ is etymologically related but rarely used in modern writing; may appear in traditional contexts.
Compound of 醤油 (しょうゆ, 'soy sauce') and たれ ('sauce, dipping sauce'). The latter derives from the verb 垂れる (たれる, 'to drip, to hang down'), referring to a sauce that drips or is poured over food.