Ankake Sauce Japanese Thickened Glaze
Japan — ankake tradition from Chinese cooking influence and indigenous Japanese starch culture
Ankake (餡掛け, sauce-poured) is the Japanese method of coating dishes in a glossy, lightly thickened sauce using kuzu or katakuriko starch — creating a translucent glaze that clings and insulates. Unlike Western reduction sauces, ankake achieves its texture from starch gelatinization, not collagen reduction. The sauce must be added as a cold starch slurry to a simmering liquid and stirred continuously during gelatinization. Applications: ankake tofu (agedashi-style), ankake udon (thick broth), Chinese-influenced Japanese ankake yakisoba, and oyster sauce ankake in izakaya cooking. The sauce's insulating property keeps food warm longer.