ponzu

noun

pon·​zu ˈpän-(ˌ)zü 

: a tangy sauce made with citrus juice, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce and used especially on seafood

Did you know?

The word ponzu is relatively new to English; our earliest English-language evidence of the word - which we borrowed from Japanese - is from 1972. But the word's history isn't as simple as that fact suggests. The Japanese word, which literally means "juice squeezed from sour oranges" is itself from the Dutch word pons. And "pons" comes from (and shares the meaning of) the English word punch as it's used to refer to the beverage concoction that's often served at parties, weddings, and wakes.

Examples of ponzu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Salmon with ponzu sauce, mango, fava beans, avocado, sesame seeds, chilli mayo, spring onion and white rice is the fuel for the afternoon. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 29 June 2026

Alaskan Snow Crab Roll At JING Scottsdale, sweet Alaskan snow crab and delicate kanikama are wrapped in silky soy paper, then finished with warm ponzu butter that adds layers of bright citrus, savory umami, and rich depth to every bite. — Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

Starters include hamachi with white soy ponzu and jalapeño hirame (flounder) with spicy pomelo and lemongrass as well as steamed clams with sake, chive oil and furikake. — Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2026

Order tuna crispy rice, king crab roll, truffle hotpot, and fillet mignon with yuzu truffle ponzu. — Devorah Lev-Tov, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese ponsu, ponzu juice squeezed from sour oranges, from Dutch pons, literally, punch, from English punch entry 4

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

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