Ryuji Cooks Seven Dishes in a Row with "Powdered Ajipon": Uses That Weren't Possible with Liquid Ponzu

The product is a spice-style version modeled on the familiar flavor of Ajipon. Ryuji calls it "seriously revolutionary" and explains why by contrasting it with the liquid. Because ponzu is a liquid and contains moisture, its uses are quite limited. A powder, on the other hand, can be sprinkled on food while keeping it crispy, and it also dissolves quickly. That, Ryuji says, makes it an all-purpose seasoning that can be used on any dish with a single shake. On top of that, it has Ajipon's characteristic tartness, which makes it very easy to use as an accent.

According to Ryuji, the appeal of an all-purpose seasoning is that it makes cooking simple. With that in mind, this video focuses mainly on easy recipes.

The first dish uses canned mackerel in water. Ryuji says this spice and canned mackerel go "ridiculously well" together. Open the can, scatter chopped scallions over it, add mayonnaise, and sprinkle on plenty of powdered Ajipon. Finally, mash and mix it all together and it's done. Ryuji says it's delicious over rice or on a salad.

This is a dish Ryuji had long been making with liquid Ajipon. With the liquid, however, it ends up watery. Switching to the powdered version turned out to be extremely tasty, which is what prompted Ryuji to introduce the dish here. As Ryuji explains, canned mackerel tastes better with a vinegary element added. But with liquid Ajipon, the liquid from the can combines with the moisture of the ponzu and makes it watery. With the powder, that problem doesn't arise.

The staff who tasted it commented, "It's refreshing," "It's totally different from soy sauce," and "It's nice that it isn't liquid." Ryuji also said there had never been a seasoning like this before, one with such a pronounced tartness and strong umami.

Before the second dish, Ryuji predicted, "This is probably going to be the best thing today." The reason it's especially good on a fried egg, Ryuji says, is that because it's a powder, the flavor sits firmly on top of the egg.

The ingredients are rice, an egg, and about three sausages. Ryuji uses sausages with Ryuji's own face on the package and jokes, "This is turning into a different sponsorship." Since the fried egg is the star, the sausages are kept modest. Oil the pan, crack in the egg, and bury the sausages in the rice. Ryuji says the doneness is up to personal preference, but thinks covering it with a lid and cooking it until the yolk is soft is best. It's also fine to skip the bowl and eat it as a regular breakfast fried egg.

To finish, Ryuji sprinkled on powdered Ajipon, but added a note that this time it was a bit too much, so the recipe should use a little less.

On tasting it, Ryuji was surprised by how clearly the flavor of the egg came through, and explained that the reason is the lack of moisture. Soy sauce or ponzu on top is tasty too, but to taste the egg most fully, Ryuji prefers to add as little moisture as possible. With the powder, the flavor goes directly onto the egg, bringing out its deliciousness. Also, when you put ponzu on it, you start wanting fat like butter. With powdered Ajipon, though, no fat is needed, and the fried egg is delicious on its own. Ryuji described it as "a flavor only this powder can produce," and remarked that encountering a new seasoning gets them excited.

While the fries are frying, Ryuji demonstrates using the spice as a dressing substitute on store-bought pre-cut salad. Just drizzle on about 2 teaspoons of olive oil, then sprinkle on a little over 1 teaspoon of Ajipon spice. Ryuji says this is how they used to eat salad back in their single days.

The key is the order. Pouring olive oil over the vegetables first and then sprinkling on the spice makes the tartness stand out. Conversely, if the spice gets coated in fat, the vinegar component becomes slightly harder to taste. That said, Ryuji added that it's "a tiny difference."

Ryuji also cited the fact that, being a powder, the flavor clings to the vegetables as an advantage, saying, "You'll stop buying dressing" and "It's 500 times better than store-bought dressing." The staff who tasted it also commented, "It really works as a dressing."

Powdered Ajipon is sprinkled over fried frozen fries. Ryuji prefers to pour it on generously, "without mercy." At one point Ryuji accidentally said the name of a particular restaurant chain and instructed the staff to bleep it out. The finished dish was named "Fries Better Than Such-and-Such."

Ryuji praised it for being refreshing enough that it doesn't feel heavy, so you can keep eating it forever. Here Ryuji again pointed out that there aren't many seasonings that are powders yet have tartness.

Then, saying "I've thought of something wicked," Ryuji melted butter and tossed it with the fries. One staff member said, "This might be my favorite." Ryuji also said, "This should be on an izakaya menu," and, despite normally not drinking during filming, couldn't resist and had a drink. Ryuji recommended that anyone watching the video make this one first.

The pasta is made one-pan style using 1.5 mm spaghetti. To 320 cc of water, add about half a teaspoon of Ajipon spice as a base seasoning. Ryuji says any ingredients will do; this time Ryuji tore up some ham and added it, along with garlic, Japanese leek, and a few sliced chili peppers. Cutting the leek lengthwise makes it a good ingredient, Ryuji says. Cook for about 10 minutes without a lid.

Here, a story comes up about a staff member who once made Ryuji's one-pan pasta with the lid on and failed. Ryuji responded, "I always say don't put a lid on it," explaining that with a lid the moisture doesn't evaporate and it ends up watery.

To finish, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle on more spice. Ryuji explains, in effect, that without the extra sprinkle it won't turn out tart. At the tasting, someone said, "The tartness is nice," and Ryuji said it turned out with a lemon-like quality. You can add more to taste. Ryuji also emphasized that this one product sets the flavor, so consommé or chicken stock powder isn't needed.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, Ryuji explains some tips for using it. Because this powder can add umami and tartness directly to ingredients, it's very versatile. Ryuji says that besides today's dishes, it was also delicious in abura soba, and that stir-fries taste great with nothing but Ajipon spice.

The key is to add a little as a base seasoning so it blends into the ingredients, then sprinkle more on at the end. Sprinkling it on afterward brings out the aroma and tartness more, so when you want to make the most of the tartness, add it as a finish. Ryuji says the same approach works for karaage.

As the conversation went on, they decided on the spot to pickle a cucumber as well. Wash one cucumber, cut it into rough chunks, and massage it well in a bowl with about 1 teaspoon of Ajipon spice. Ryuji says that since it adds tartness and umami, this alone makes a complete quick pickle. Normally quick pickles need to sit for several minutes, but this can be eaten right after massaging. The staff who tried it reacted, "This is good!" Ryuji grew more and more energized, saying, "I could do every ingredient in the house."

Heat frozen udon in the microwave for about 4 minutes and put it in a bowl while piping hot. Add half a teaspoon of Ajipon spice, 10 g of butter, and an egg, and stir while the bowl is still hot. This makes the egg white start to set, so even people who dislike a slippery texture can eat it easily. If you still don't like it, Ryuji says you can microwave it further in 10-second increments. Ryuji personally, however, likes it in its gooey state.

To finish, sprinkle on as much spice as you like, and for a kamatama-style dish, add a little drizzle of soy sauce. Ryuji says that, as with the fries, Ajipon spice and butter go together extremely well.

The staff who tasted it noted that the aroma comes through the moment it hits your mouth. Ryuji explained this as "the effect of adding it at the end." If you mix it in beforehand, the aroma doesn't come through.

Having finished cooking everything, Ryuji laughs about not remembering how many dishes they made. At the end, Ryuji summed up the product's features once more. It goes especially well with eggs, such as in tamago kake gohan, and with butter. It can also be sprinkled on frozen karaage or used to season meat stir-fries. Ryuji says you can treat it the same way as the "just-sprinkle-and-it's-delicious spices" sold in supermarkets, with the distinguishing feature being the added tartness and refreshing aroma.

According to Ryuji's explanation, the product uses vinegar along with ingredients such as mandarin orange powder, adding a citrus aroma as well. So while people might think of it as "Ajipon flavor," to Ryuji it's less Ajipon flavor and more a new spice that can be used in any dish. Saying there are many more recipes to be found if you dig deeper, Ryuji wrapped things up there for this time. The video ends with Ryuji saying that every dish introduced is recommended.