Japanese Worcester Sauce vs. Chuno Sauce vs. Noko Sauce

Based on the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture, three brown sauces are considered Worcester sauce in Japan.

As you might already know, they are Worcester Sauce, Chuno Sauce, and Noko Sauce.

Japanese Worcester Sauce vs. Chuno Sauce vs. Noko Sauce

Japanese Worcester sauce, Chuno Sauce, and Noko Sauce are very similar and can be used interchangeably according to your preference.

These brown sauces can be made with the same ingredients set by law,

which are vegetables/fruits, sugars, honey, (brewed) vinegar, salt, spices, seasoning, alcohol, and starch.

They are actually classified by consistency, but what are their specific definitions and characteristics?

Worcester Sauce (ウスターソース)

Japanese Worcester Sauce is a smooth brown sauce with a moderate spiciness whose viscosity is less than 0.2 Pa·s.

In the case of the “Tokkyu (特級)” special grade, it uses more than 10 percent vegetables/fruits (no regulation in the “Hyojun (標準)” standard grade), and its salt content is 11 percent or less.

Chuno Sauce (中濃ソース)

Chuno Sauce, meaning “medium-thick sauce”, is like a cross between Japanese Worcester Sauce and Noko Sauce. Its viscosity is 0.2 Pa·s or more but less than 2.0 Pa·s.

In the Tokkyu grade, this brown sauce uses more than 15 percent vegetables/fruits (no regulation in the Hyojun grade), and its salt content is 10 percent or less. 

Noko Sauce (濃厚ソース)

Noko Sauce, literally “thick sauce”, is a rich and fruity brown sauce whose viscosity is 2.0 Pa·s or more.

In the Tokkyu grade, it contains more than 20 percent vegetables/fruits (no regulation in the Hyojun grade), and its salt content is 9 percent or less. 

By the way, Noko Sauce includes Tonkatsu Sauce, Okonomiyaki Sauce (Okonomi Sauce), and Takoyaki Sauce.

If you want to know how the three types of Noko Sauce differ, these articles (this and this) will help.