The Japanese citrus-based sauce often used as a dip for sashimi and sushi is ponzu.
Ponzu is a tart, thin Japanese sauce made with citrus juice. Traditional versions may use Japanese citrus fruits such as yuzu, sudachi, kabosu, or daidai, while lemon and other citrus can appear in modern recipes. Its bright acidity complements raw fish without masking its flavor.
The name has an unusual history: it entered Japanese from the obsolete Dutch word pons, referring to a fruit-juice punch. The final Japanese character later came to be associated with vinegar because of the sauce’s sour taste. Commercial ponzu is often sold as ponzu shōyu, a darker mixture containing soy sauce, although many English-language labels simply call that product ponzu.
Ponzu is also used with nabemono hot pots, grilled meat, and tataki. It is not the same as rayu, which is chili-infused oil, or mirin, a sweet rice wine used as a seasoning.