Otafuku: Okonomi Sauce vs Takoyaki Sauce vs Yakisoba Sauce

When it comes to Japanese sauce, the 2 Japanese companies, “Otafuku Sauce (オタフクソース)” and “Bull-Dog Sauce (ブルドックソース)” are especially famous for their brown sauces in Japan.

They are producing and selling brown sauces commonly used in Japan which include Tonkatsu sauce, Chuno sauce, Okonomiyaki sauce or Okonomi sauce, Takoyaki sauce, and Yakisoba sauce.

While Bull-Dog Sauce is especially well recognized for their Tonkatsu sauce, Worcester sauce, and Chuno sauce, when Japanese people hear Otafuku Sauce, I think many first bring their Okonomiyaki sauce, Takoyaki sauce, and Yakisoba sauce to mind.

3 Popular Types of Otafuku Sauce

As I wrote about the difference between Bull-Dog Sauce’s Tonkatsu sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Chuno sauce before, this time I will introduce Otafuku Sauce’s Okonomi sauce, Takoyaki sauce, and Yakisoba sauce, and talk about how they are different from one another.

Otafuku Okonomi Sauce (Okonomiyaki Sauce)

As the name indicates, we Japanese generally call the brown sauce for Okonomiyaki pancake “Okonomiyaki sauce (お好み焼きソース)” or “Okonomi sauce (お好みソース)”.

The Otafuku Okonomi sauce is made using plenty of vegetables and fruits, and blended with about 20 varieties of spices. This brown sauce has a thick consistency and is characterized by its mellow sweetness from dates. It has almost no spicy taste.

Ingredients and Nutrition Facts

According to the ingredient list, the Otafuku Okonomiyaki sauce mainly consists of vegetables and fruits (including tomato, dates, and onion), high fructose corn syrup, sugar, brewed vinegar, amino acid liquid, salt, alcohol, soy sauce, spices, oyster extract, meat extract, yeast extract, kombu seaweed, protein hydrolyzate, shiitake mushroom, processed starch, amino acids, and caramel pigment.

Based on the nutrition facts, this Japanese brown sauce has 127 kcal per 100 grams and contains 4.8 g salt equivalents.

Otafuku Takoyaki Sauce 

As you can easily guess, “Takoyaki sauce (たこ焼ソース)” is the Japanese brown sauce particularly meant for Takoyaki, the octopus balls known as a specialty of Osaka.

Made with soy sauce and plenty of bonito extract, the Otafuku Takoyaki sauce is lighter in taste, thinner in consistency than the Okonomiyaki sauce above. It is a little bit spicy, has a moderate sweetness, and features its flavorful taste from umami-rich dashi. 

Ingredients and Nutrition Facts

According to the ingredient list, the Otafuku Takoyaki sauce mainly consists of high fructose corn syrup, sugar, vegetables and fruits (including tomato, onion, and apple), brewed vinegar, soy sauce, salt, bonito extract, spices, oyster extract, kombu seaweed, yeast extract, processed starch, and amino acids.

Based on the nutrition facts, this Japanese brown sauce has 125 kcal per 100 grams and contains 4.3 g salt equivalents.

Otafuku Yakisoba Sauce 

Yakisoba sauce is a kind of Japanese-style Worcester sauce. In general, Takoyaki sauce and Okonomiyaki sauce are similar in taste and can be used interchangeably, but Yakisoba sauce isn’t usually used for Okonomiyaki or Takoyaki. It is a seasoning sauce particularly for Yakisoba noodles.

The Otafuku Yakisoba sauce is made with onion and garlic, and blended with umami ingredients from bonito or Katsuo, making it easy for you to make authentic Yakisoba noodles at home. It is a smooth brown sauce with moderate spiciness.

Ingredients and Nutrition Facts

According to the ingredient list, the Otafuku Yakisoba sauce mainly consists of high fructose corn syrup, sugar, brewed vinegar, vegetables and fruits (including tomato, onion, and apple), salt, soy sauce, amino acid liquid, spices, oyster extract, meat extract, scallop extract, bonito flavoring, roasted soy sauce seasoning, kombu seaweed, fish extract, yeast extract, caramel pigment, processed starch, and amino acids.

Based on the nutrition facts, this Japanese brown sauce has 133 kcal per 100 grams and contains 6.6 g salt equivalents.