Soy sauce
Soy sauce (
US) or
soya sauce is a
fermented sauce made from
soybeans (soya beans), roasted
grain,
water and
salt. The sauce, originating in
China, is commonly used in East and South Eastern
Asian cuisine and appears in some
Western cuisine dishes, especially as an ingredient in
Worcestershire sauce.
Authentic soy sauces are fermented with
kōji (
麹, the mold
Aspergillus oryzae or
A. sojae) and other related
microorganisms. Authentic soy sauces are made from whole soybeans, but many cheaper brands are made from
hydrolized soy protein instead. These soy sauces do not have the natural color of authentic soy sauces and are typically colored with
caramel coloring.
Virtually all soy sauce has some
alcohol added during bottling, which acts as a preservative to protect against spoilage. Accordingly, soy sauce should always be kept
refrigerated and out of direct light. An opened bottle of soy sauce that has been left unrefrigerated could become slightly bitter.
Although there are many types of soy sauce, all are salty and earthy-tasting brownish liquids used to season food while cooking or at the table. What some westerners can only describe as a flavorful, kind of sweet taste is a distinct basic taste called "
umami" by the Japanese and "xian-wei" (
鲜味, lit. "fresh taste") by the Chinese.
Large-scale soy-sauce production
There are a lot of types that are both naturally and chemically manufactured, and there are a number of all-purpose and specialized sauces.
Kikkoman, the world's largest soy sauce producer, makes its soy sauce by a natural process in which soybeans and wheat are fermented by microorganisms.
Making soy-sauce at home
Just like other fermented
soy products such as
miso,
soy milk,
tofu and others, soy-sauce can be made at home. The traditional method requires mixing a special Koji (
Aspergillus oryzae) with the
soy beans.
Soy sauce originated in
China and it is widely used in
Chinese cuisine. It is also used in various cuisines across
Asia and is a particularly important flavoring in
Japanese cuisine. However,
Chinese and
Japanese soy sauces are substantially different, and it is rarely appropriate to substitute one for the other.
Chinese soy sauce
Chinese soy sauces are primarily made from
soybeans, with relatively low amounts of other grains. There are three main varieties:
*
Light/fresh soy sauce ("Sh"ngchōu";
"抽): A light (as in non-viscous) opaque dark brown soy sauce. It is the main soy sauce used for seasoning, since it is saltier. Since it is lighter, it does not greatly affect the color of the dish. The light soy sauce made from the first pressing of the soybeans is called
Touchōu (頭抽), which can be loosely translated as first soy sauce or referred to as premium light soy sauce. Touchōu is often sold at a premium because of better taste (similar to extra virgin olive oil).
*
Dark/old soy sauce ("Lǎochōu";
老抽): A dark, thick soy sauce that is aged longer and contains added
molasses to give it its distinctive look. This variety is mainly used during cooking since its flavour develops under heating. It has a richer, slightly sweeter, and less salty flavour than light soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is partly used to add color to a dish.
*
Thick soy sauce (醬油膏 or "油膏): Dark soy sauce that has been thickened with starch and sugar. It is also occasionally flavored with
MSG. This sauce is not usually used directly in cooking but more often as a
dipping sauce or poured on food as a flavorful addition.
*
Dark soy paste (黄酱): Although not really a soy sauce, it is another salty soy product. It is one of the main ingredients in a dish called
zhajiang mian (
炸酱面, lit. "fried paste noodles").
*
Hongshuai soy sauce: An artificial soy sauce created from an amino acid slurry derived from various sources of proteins, most notably human hair. This enjoyed a brief time of popularity in China due to its low cost.
[http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijto/vol2n1/soy.xml]In
Singapore and
Malaysia, soy sauce in general is dòuyóu 豆油; dark soy sauce is called 醬油 and light soy sauce is jiàngqīng 醬清. Angmoh tauyew 紅貌豆油 is the
Hokkien name for
Worcestershire sauce. In Taiwan, only light soy sauce is used and this is referred to as
jiangyou (醬油); the terms
shengchou ("抽) and
laochou (老抽) are not used. In addition to soy sauce made from
soy beans and
wheat, there is a variety that is made from
black beans. Soy sauce made from black beans is generally more expensive because it takes longer to make, but it is said to have higher nutrition value and aromatic flavour.
Indonesian soy sauce
|
Soy sauce is made from soy beans. |
In
Indonesia, soy sauce is known as
kecap (a catchall term for fermented sauces), from which according to one theory the English word "
ketchup" is derived. Two main varieties exist:
*
Kecap asin: Salty soy sauce, which is very similar to Chinese light soy sauce, but usually somewhat thicker and has a stronger flavor; it can be replaced by light Chinese soy sauce in recipes.
*
Kecap manis: Sweet soy sauce, which has a thick, almost syrupy consistency and a pronounced sweet,
treacle-like flavor due to generous addition of
palm sugar. It is a unique variety; in a pinch, it may be replaced by molasses with a little vegetable stock stirred in.
Kecap inggris ("English fermented sauce") is the
Bahasa Indonesia name for
Worcestershire sauce.
Kecap Ikan is Indonesian
fish sauce.
Japanese soy sauce
|
Koyo organic tamari sauce |
Japanese soy sauce, or
shō-yu (しょうゆ, or
醤油,
正油) - is traditionally divided into five main categories, depending on differences in their ingredients and method of production. Japanese soy sauces include
wheat as a primary ingredient, and this tends to give them a slightly sweeter taste than their Chinese counterparts; they also have a somewhat alcoholic,
sherry-like flavor. Japanese and Chinese soy sauce are not really interchangeable in recipes; Chinese dark soy sauce comes closer to Japanese one in overall flavor, but not in the intensity of the flavor or the texture.
*
Koikuchi (
濃口) - Originating in the
Kantō region, its usage eventually spread all over Japan. Over 80% of the Japanese domestic soy sauce production is of koikuchi, and can be considered the typical Japanese soy sauce. It is produced from roughly equal quantities of soybean and wheat. This variety is also called
Kijōyu (
"醤油) or
namashōyu ("しょうゆ) when it is not
pasteurized.
*
Usukuchi (
薄口) - Particularly popular in the
Kansai region of Japan, it is both saltier and lighter in color than
koikuchi. The lighter color arises from the usage of
amazake, a sweet liquid made from fermented rice, that is used in its production.
*
Tamari (たまり) - Produced mainly in the
Chūbu region of Japan,
tamari is produced mainly from soybean, with only a small amount of wheat. Consequently, it is much darker in appearance and richer in flavour than
koikuchi. It is the "original" Japanese soy sauce, as its recipe is closest to the soy sauce originally introduced to Japan from China. Technically, this variety is known as
miso-damari (味噌溜り), as this is the liquid that runs off
miso as it
matures.
*
Shiro (
白, lit. "white") - A very light colored soy sauce. In contrast to "tamari" soy sauce, "shiro" soy sauce uses more wheat and very little soybean, lending it a light appearance and sweet taste. It is more commonly used in the Kansai region to highlight the appearances of food, for example
sashimi.
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Saishikomi (再仕込, twice-brewed) - This variety substitutes previously-made koikuchi for the brine normally used in the process. Consequently, it is much darker and more strongly flavored. This type is also known as
kanro shoyu ("露 醤油) or "sweet shoyu".
genen (
減塩) - Low-salt soy sauces also exist, but are not considered to be a separate variety of soy sauce, since the reduction in salt content is a process performed outside of the standard manufacture of soy sauce.
amakuchi (
"口) - Called "Hawaiian Soy Sauce" in those few parts of the US familiar with it, this is a variant of "koikuchi" soy sauce.
All of these varieties are sold in the marketplace in three different grades according to how they were produced:
honjōzō hōshiki (本醸造 方式) - Contains 100% naturally fermented product.
shinshiki hōshiki (新式 方式) - Contains 30-50% naturally fermented product.
aminosanekikongō hōshiki (アミノ酸混合 方式) - Contains 0% fermented product; is a modified vegetable extract. This is referred to as "liquid aminos" in the US and Canada.
tennen jōzō (天然 醸造) - Means no added ingredients except alcohol.
All the varieties and grades may be sold according to three official levels of quality:
hyōjun (標準) - Standard pasteurized.
tokkyū (特級) - Special quality, not pasteurized.
tokusen (特選) - Premium quality, usually implies limited quantity.
abuakane (初茜) - Refers to industrial grade used for flavoring, powder.
chōtokusen (超特選) - Used by marketers to imply the best.
Perhaps the most well-known producer of Japanese soy sauce is the
Kikkoman Corporation.
Korean soy sauce
Korean soy sauce, or
Joseon ganjang (조선간장) is a byproduct of
doenjang, Korean bean paste.
Joseon ganjang, thin and dark brown in texture, is made entirely of soy and brine, and is very salty.
Positive
A study by
National University of Singapore shows that Chinese dark soy sauce contains amounts of antioxidant 10 times that of
red wine.[
1]
Negative
Soy sauce does not contain the beneficial
isoflavones associated with other soy products such as
tofu or
edamame. Soy sauce contains a small amount of naturally occurring
monosodium glutamate (MSG). It can also be extremely
salty, so it is not a suitable
condiment for some people, and should generally be taken in moderation. Low-salt soy sauces are produced, but it is impossible to make soy sauce without using some quantity of salt.
In 2001 the UK Food Standards Agency found in tests of various soy sauces (those made from hydrolized soy protein, rather than being naturally fermented) that some 22% of samples contained a chemical called 3-MCPD (3-monochloropropane-1,3-diol) at levels considerably higher than those deemed safe by the EU. About two-thirds of these samples also contained a second chemical called 1,3-DCP (1,3-dichloropropane-2-ol) which experts advise should not be present at any levels in food. Both chemicals have the potential to cause
cancer and the Agency recommended that the affected products be withdrawn from shelves and avoided. [
2]
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Kikkoman - one of the world's leading producers of soy sauce. Primarily produces Japanese style soy sauce
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San-J - Pictorial description of the brewing process at San-Jirushi site, another large producer.
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Comprehensive Korean soy sauce information*
Knowingfood.com - A collection of Chinese and other Asian food recipes cooked with soy sauce.
