Let's get saucy

My name is Lydia, and I'm an addict. I admit it; I'm addicted to Japanese barbecue sauce, to this one in particular. If you haven't tried Bachan's, be warned: this is the stuff of which the most yummy dreams are made. Bachan means "granny" in Japanese, and that's the first hint that this is a tried-and-true family recipe. Judy Yokoyama, known as "Bachan", was born in California, sent to an internment camp as a young girl, and worked on an apple farm. Later her family ran a landscaping business, and every year at the holidays, they would brew up a batch of her barbecue sauce and gift it to their customers. By 2019, they turned that sideline into a business, which now sells four sauces: original (salty with lots of umami flavor); hot and spicy (oh yes, it is -- we often mix it 50/50 with the original); yuzu (salty and citrusy); and a gluten-free version of the original recipe. Bachan's contains authentic ingredients, no preservatives, and is non-GMO certified. It's available in Asian markets and some supermarkets, and online, in various sizes. Stock up now; later this month, I'll share a super-easy recipe, using this sauce, that I make every week.