Sa-Shi-Su-Se-So

Eh?

No, the CC hasn't lost his marbles. At least not yet!

These are the horizontal letters of the Japanese alphabet in the "s" row, and they stand for the order in which to add ingredients when simmering vegetables in dashi (which the Japanese do a lot!)

satō - sugar (typically in the form of mirin)
shio - salt
su - vinegar
seyu / shōyu - soy sauce
miso - miso

Okay, they cheat a little with the shōyu to fit it into the scheme but we'll just call it cute. and let it slide.

There's a sorta logic to it. The sugar requires time to get absorbed (larger molecules) so it needs to go in there first. And the miso gets in there last because it really shouldn't be overcooked. The rest is a just a cutesy mnemonic to remember it all.

Kawaii!!!