Tare (pronounced TAH-reh) is the concentrated flavouring base of ramen — the element that differentiates one bowl from another and carries the seasoning of the entire dish in a small quantity. Chang's Momofuku documented tare as the critical variable in ramen construction, transferable beyond ramen to any application requiring a concentrated, complex seasoning addition. The concept: one highly reduced, deeply flavoured liquid provides more complexity in a teaspoon than a litre of ordinary seasoning.
A concentrated reduction of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and aromatics (kombu, dried shiitake, dried fish) used in small quantities to season ramen broth but applicable as a finishing seasoning for any dish requiring depth and umami concentration.
Tare provides the bottom register of a dish — the deep, salt-umami foundation that everything else sits on top of. It should be imperceptible as a distinct flavour (nobody should taste "soy sauce reduced with kombu") but its absence is immediately apparent. This is seasoning at its most architectural.
- The reduction must be taken far enough to concentrate the flavour but not so far that the salt becomes overwhelming — tare is typically diluted 1:10 to 1:20 with broth before serving [VERIFY ratio] - Multiple umami sources combined produce synergistic glutamate effects — soy sauce (glutamates), kombu (glutamates), dried shiitake (guanosine monophosphate) together produce more perceived umami than any single source at the same concentration [VERIFY] - Tare improves with age — storing in the refrigerator allows the flavours to integrate over days and weeks. Freshly made tare is sharp; rested tare is round - Small quantities make dramatic differences — tare is a finishing seasoning, not a cooking liquid. A teaspoon per serving is sufficient - Tare can be made from any fermented base — white soy, fish sauce, or miso dissolved in sake and mirin produce different tare characters for different applications
MOMOFUKU (continued) + AN EVERLASTING MEAL