soy sauce is one of the most important ingredients in japanese cuisine. yet only one percent of the country's supply is made through the traditional method of barrel aging. that's because it can take four years for one batch to go from barrel to bottle yasuo yamamoto is a fifth generation soy sauce maker.
Japanese soy sauces have a sweeter flavour because they are made with a mix of wheat and soy. Whereas Chinese soy sauce traditionally uses 100% soy for a stronger, saltier flavour.
Chinese-style soy sauces traditionally are made with 100 percent soy, while Japanese-style soy sauces are made with a mix of soy and wheat (usually 50/50). This gives the Japanese sauces a sweeter, more nuanced flavor than their Chinese counterparts, which are usually saltier and more aggressive.
While traditional Chinese soy sauces were made only using soy beans (some modern Chinese soy sauces contain wheat, too), when the brewing method made its way to Japan, the recipe was modified to use an even ratio of soybeans and wheat, producing a soy sauce with a sweeter flavor profile.
Kikkoman Soy Sauce is made using the traditional Japanese brewing process known as “honjozo”. We call this honjozo method, which makes use of the natural powers of fermentation, “naturally brewed”. Kikkoman Soy Sauce is made from the four basic ingredients of soybeans, wheat, salt and water.
Japanese Soy Sauce/shoyu
Shoyu is the term broadly given to Japanese style soy sauces that are made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt and water. In general, they are quite thin and clear and are a good all-purpose cooking and table sauce.
Kikkoman, a Japanese food manufacturer well known for its soy sauces, is probably the most recognizable and easy-to-find brand of soy sauce in the United States.
For years the backbone of Japanese food culture, Kikkoman soy sauce is now used in over 100 countries worldwide.
Kikkoman Soy Sauce - Pouring Pot 150ml
Use: as an everyday soy sauce for dipping sushi, dumplings, rice and noodles. Great to keep on the table and add as a finishing touch to all Japanese dishes. You'll recognise this Japanese style soy sauce from sushi restaurants, as it's a good all-rounder.
Taste is a subjective human experience. However, umami is now well accepted as a fifth taste. The Japanese consider umami to be as important as sweetness or saltiness. That's why shoyu is such a prominent ingredient and condiment in Japanese cuisine.
The Japanese Kikkoman and Yamasa brands of reduced sodium soy sauces are relatively expensive, as compared with the regular soy sauces by those same brands. This is because the process of producing soy sauce initially requires the same amount of salt, whether you're producing regular or low sodium soy sauce.
Tamari is the Japanese version and soy sauce is the more commonly known Chinese variety. Tamari is a little thicker and less salty, while soy sauce has a thinner consistency and leaves a burst of salt on the tongue.
What's the difference between Kikkoman Soy Sauce and cheaper brands? In a nutshell, the way it is made! Kikkoman Soy Sauce is naturally brewed over several months, resulting in a top quality, richly coloured, aromatic soy sauce that is perfect for all types of seasoning.
THE ROOTS OF SOY SAUCE ARE IN CHINA
It's said that the roots of soy sauce can be traced back to a sauce called “jan” in ancient China. That began from pickling raw materials in salt to preserve them, and there were varieties based on fruit, vegetables, and seaweed etc., on meat and fish, on meat only, and on grains.
Thai soy sauces are similar to Chinese soy sauces in that there are both dark and light varieties. However, there are some key differences. Some say Thai soy sauce isn't as briny or harshly salty as Chinese/Japanese soy sauce, because the salty flavor is balanced by sweetness from added sugar.
Founded in 1688 (Japanese Imperial Year: Genroku 1st)
The Shibanuma family has been producing soy sauce for over 320 years since 1688.
The Bottom Line. Storing soy sauce at room temperature is perfectly fine. However, if you don't plan on regularly using it in your cooking, storing the soy sauce in the refrigerator will keep it at peak quality for longer.
It might lose some flavor but it won't spoil, with a few caveats. An unopened bottle of soy sauce can last as long as two or three years (basically forever), and you can safely leave an opened bottle out of the refrigerator for up to one year.
Koon Chun Soy Sauces are our number one pick of Chinese soy sauces. Koon Chun is made in Hong Kong with the basic ingredients of Canadian soybeans, sea salt, wheat flour and water without additives. Koon Chun soy sauces are widely recommended in Chinese cooking communities.
Soy sauce has a long history. It was first made in China in the form of a thick paste called jiang and was originally a blend of meat and a millet-based fermenting agent along with salt.
Dressings and condiments
Condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, mustard, and salad dressings have been known to contain MSG to boost flavor.
I've heard that over there, putting soy sauce on plain rice is seen as some kind of boorish act, similar to putting ketchup on pizza in Italy. Supposedly, this stems from it being perceived as a poor man's meal, i.e. that's all poor people can afford.
In Australia, the best Japanese soy sauce brands are Yamasa Soy Sauce or Shoda Soy Sauce.