Soy Sauce

Information about Soy Sauce

Featured Ingredient - Canton

Go to:-   Canton Speciality Dish | Canton Main Page  | Cooking by Country Main Page
 

Soy sauce is made from soybeans and has been used by the Chinese and Japanese for 2,000 years. Originally a paste, it has developed into two products - the liquid (sauce) and miso (paste). Whilst both are used in Japanese cuisine, China mainly uses the sauce.

A good soy sauce is made by mixing the soybeans with a roasted grain - usually wheat, rice, or barley. This mixture is then fermented for many months after which it is strained and bottled. Unfortunately, the addition of grains makes it unsuitable for people who are or wheat intolerant.

Today, synthetically manufactured soy sauce is also produced in very little time, often a matter of days by way of a hydrolytic reaction with additions such as corn syrup, caramel colouring and salt however these are inferior to the fermented types and often have a metallic taste.

Both light and dark soy sauce is used in Chinese cooking. The difference is that dark soy is fermented for a much longer period resulting in an almost black colour and a thicker consistency. It is not used in general dishes and is mainly reserved for marinating meats and in “red-cooked” dishes. Light soy sauce is thinner and tends to have a saltier flavour and this is the type which is used in most everyday dishes such as stir-fries.

You can find recipes using Soy Sauce in the main Chinese Section as well as on the Canton Cooking by County page and throughout the site.
 

Happy cooking!