Glossary · 煮切り · nikiri
Nikiri
Nikiri is the brushed-on finishing soy sauce — soy simmered with dashi, mirin and sake — that chefs paint onto nigiri so you don't need to dip.
Nikiri is a refined sauce: soy sauce gently simmered with dashi, mirin and sake to round off its sharp edges. At edomae counters the itamae brushes a little onto each piece just before serving, seasoning it precisely so it arrives ready to eat.
When a piece has been finished with nikiri (or with salt and citrus), reaching for the soy dish can actually work against the chef’s balance — the signal is to eat it as served.