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
Moms will be greeted with a mimosa or bellini as while perusing the menu with starters like tuna tartare with avocado and yuzu ponzu, or kong Island Sound oysters with a passion fruit mignonette.
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Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Big Tree Farms sells a line of sauces and marinades, each with a base of coco aminos, and introduce other global zests like ponzu, lemongrass and tamarind in every bottle.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
The menu will also feature a few only-in-Miami items, like hamachi crudo served with winter citrus, golden beets and habanero ponzu, Dover sole and a dessert named Orange Dreamsicle, with orange mousse, yuzu puree and mint basil granita.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025
The evening began with an indulgent cocktail hour featuring mackerel, ponzu, and truffle tartelettes, firefly squid tempura, and a special pop-up by Chef Frey, who prepared spring rabbit with chanterelle mousse alongside a falafel and radish salad.
—Sam Falb, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponzu
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Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Big Tree Farms sells a line of sauces and marinades, each with a base of coco aminos, and introduce other global zests like ponzu, lemongrass and tamarind in every bottle.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
The menu will also feature a few only-in-Miami items, like hamachi crudo served with winter citrus, golden beets and habanero ponzu, Dover sole and a dessert named Orange Dreamsicle, with orange mousse, yuzu puree and mint basil granita.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025
The evening began with an indulgent cocktail hour featuring mackerel, ponzu, and truffle tartelettes, firefly squid tempura, and a special pop-up by Chef Frey, who prepared spring rabbit with chanterelle mousse alongside a falafel and radish salad.
—Sam Falb, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponzu
Cite this Entry
“Ponzu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ponzu. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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