[Lee Stewart]

Another sugar-filled ingredient that's never found in Japanese pantries is teriyaki sauce. This thick brown sauce is often ladled over chicken, steak, vegetables, and anything else Americans can think of, but in Japan, it's not used. Matsuo explains that it's too sweet for the Japanese palette. "In Japan, teriyaki is a term used for the process of roasting chicken or pork, and very seldom includes a sauce."