Yum Yum Sauce: The Making Of An American Condiment
Japanese steakhouses often serve a creamy orange-pink sauce alongside a steaming meal. Online, fans obsess over hacking the recipe for this "Japanese classic," but its roots are firmly American.
The scene is a familiar one. People sit around a rectangular table, the bulk of which is taken up by a smooth iron cooktop. Gas flames flicker underneath. A man wearing a tall red hat and a white chef's uniform approaches, pulling a cart filled with cold food, large cooking utensils and various bottles of sauces. He holds a spatula and a large metal fork. He brings them together: cling-clang, cling-clang. Eyes sparkling, he looks around the table. "Welcome to Benihana."
More commonly referred to as hibachi, Japanese teppanyaki-style cooking has become part of the American dining experience. The combination of noodles, rice, vegetables and meat fried up on a griddle draws customers to these restaurants as much as the loud and
