ponzu

British

/ ˈpɒnˌzuː /

noun

a type of Japanese dipping sauce made from orange juice, sake, sugar, soy sauce, and red pepper

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ponzu

C21: from Japanese

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I started with hamachi topped with Asian pear and serrano, finished tableside with a tamarind ponzu.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

It’s got little slices of Mandarin orange over yellowtail fish, with a little bit of Thai chill on top, and sits in a ponzu sauce.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025

The crispy tofu gets a luxurious dip in the blackberry ponzu, creating a symphony of sweet, tart, savory and oh-so-satisfying.

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024

Right now is the time for soft-shell crabs from the Carolinas, crisp and sweet as you want them to be and enhanced with a dip of ponzu sauce.

From Washington Post • Jun. 20, 2022

A mid-January menu included the restaurant’s signature sweet potato biscuits, raw oysters topped with ponzu and finger lime and shrimp in lemon butter, all paired with natural wines.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023