ginny wilken wrote:

> Well, not sugar, per se, but mirin, which is highly sweetened and salted,
> and in some cases, laced with MSG. This in darn near every dish: fish for
> breakfast, soups and stew bases, and plenty of sugar also in teriyaki
> sauce, katsudon sauce, omelets, sushi rice, etc. The basic tastes of Japan
> are not in the food, but in the salt, sugar and MSG found in everything. I
> think the small quantities add up, and certainly can become addictive, at
> least to the sense of taste.
>
> ginny

Not mirin so much, as soy sauce. You are certainly right
that about the taste not being in the food. I laugh when
Japanese talk about the delicate flavor of sashimi or some
other traditional dish, as they douse it with soy sauce and
wasabi (hot horseradish-like) paste!

There probably is plenty of sugar in the sauces, but I think
on average they are not as sweet as American sauces. Some
are quite sweet.