Mr. Yoshida Sauce is a Japanese-style condiment with a soy sauce base. It has a sweet and salty flavor with a bit of tang. Mr. Yoshida’s signature product, Yoshida Sauce Original, is a unique blend of sweet and savory flavors, combining soy sauce, garlic, and seasonings. This flexible marinade and cooking sauce is suitable for meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Is Mr. Yoshida Sauce discontinued?
Yoshida’s is a well-known brand and a significant player in the Asian sauce market. Mr. Yoshida Sauce is still available on the market and has yet to be discontinued. In this article, we learn more about this product in detail.
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Heinz acquired Yoshida’s Asian Sauces
Junki Yoshida, a Japanese-American entrepreneur, founded Mr. Yoshida’s Marinade and Cooking Sauces in 1982. On April 11, 2000, H.J. Heinz Company announced the acquisition of Yoshida’s brand in North America. This deal allowed it to enter the rapidly expanding Asian sauce industry in the United States. Yoshida Food Products Company Limited Partnership of Portland, Oregon, produces various sauces. This includes stir-fry, gourmet, soy-based, teriyaki, and Hawaiian. The brand’s annual sales were more than $20 million in the year 2000 itself.
“Yoshida’s is a popular brand and a key player in the Asian sauce business. It is growing at more than 6% annually in the United States,” said William R. Johnson, President and CEO of H. J. Heinz Company. “Asian sauces are an excellent addition to our global portfolio. In 1999, we bought ABC Indonesia, the world’s second-largest soy sauce manufacturer. Also in March 2000, we signed a joint venture agreement with Nutri Asia, the Philippines’ leading ketchup producer.” Yoshida’s most popular product is Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce. It is a soy-based Asian sauce.
“Yoshida’s brand is also an expert in the rapidly growing club store segment. It has a 75 percent market share,” stated Joe Jimenez, President and CEO of Heinz North America. “Americans continue experimenting with diverse cuisines. So the prepared sauces have grown into important additions to their pantries.”
Thus, Heinz collaborated with Mr. Yoshida to promote the sauces across North America. As a result of their collaboration, Yoshida’s brand is expected to gain popularity. Yoshida sauces serve as grilling sauces, tabletop condiments, and marinades.
Yoshida Food Products Company continued to co-pack sauces at its Portland factory. It also continued to do business outside of North America, including the rights to the Yoshida trademark.
A recent update by the founder
On January 30, 2024, the creator of a well-known teriyaki sauce claimed that keeping life interesting is the key to aging well.
The reporter asked Junki Yoshida, “How does Yoshida stay young?” He responded, “The secret is in the sauce. And the story begins in 1982. I created it around Christmas of 1982. It was during one of America’s worst recessions. At that time, I ran out of money for reciprocal Christmas gifts,” Yoshida says.
His wife suggested that he give out teriyaki sauce, which his mother used to make in Japan. And my pals adored it!” I was surprised. “People wanted to pay me for that stupid sauce,” he says, laughing.
He quickly started selling it at Oregon grocery stores. However, when Costco approached Yoshida in 1986, his broker cautioned him not to deal with the rivals, claiming that grocery store chains would block him. He was not about to be pushed. The memory makes his ordinarily cheerful face sour. “Look at me. “That is my absolute favorite word,” he huffs.
Mr. Yoshida’s sauce is available at 700 Costco shops in 10 countries. But is this enough for him? He replies no, which is his secret to aging well: having something to look forward to and pushing through each day. “I plan to keep working until I die. This is a wonderful life,” he says.
Friend Shinobu Miyamoto shares: “He values people and cares deeply about them. That’s the backbone of his firm and the key to his success.”
Yoshida has a strong desire to live. “You got to put whatever you have [into a goal] 100%, passion 100%,” he says.
Yoshida Sauce alternatives
There is no news about the discontinuation of Yoshida sauce. If you are still looking for alternatives, here are some products.
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Unagi Sauce
- Kecap Manis
- Hoisin Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Bulgogi Sauce/Korean BBQ Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
Conclusion
In 2019, Junki and Linda Yoshida of Yoshida Cooking Sauce offered their 15-acre riverfront estate in Troutdale to the Randall Children’s Hospital Foundation to support pediatric activities at Legacy Emanuel.
The foundation has priced the gift at $1.7 million. It includes a century-old lodge-style residence and gravel walks that lead to five theme gardens.
Junki Yoshida, who moved from Japan with only $500 and a family sauce recipe, still leads The Yoshida Group. It includes a property management company, Crater Lake Soda, and Riverview Restaurant, located across Southeast Stark Street from their house. He also serves on the Randall Paediatric Hospital Foundation board of trustees.
Bronwyn J. Houston, president of Randall Children’s Hospital, praised Yoshidas’ long-standing collaboration. He thanked them for helping children and their families, notably those receiving care from the Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders team.
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