Food Info - Misc: About Soy Sauce
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While Americans are familiar with soy sauce, most aren't aware that there are different types, nor do they understand how to use them. China and Japan are the major producers of authentic soy sauce and companies in each country make their own very different style of the condiment. Within each major style, there are also light, dark, and even "lite' soy sauces.
No matter the style, all soy sauce begins with soybeans, wheat and mold. A combination of roasted soybean meal and ground wheat is injected with aspergillus mold and left to develop for several days. The cultured meal is then mixed with brine and yeast and transferred to tanks where it ferments for anywhere from six months to four years, depending on the manufacturer. The liquids are then drained off, strained and bottled.
Japanese manufacturer use more wheat than the Chinese to make their soy sauce and this accounts for its mellowere,. less salty flavor. Dark soy, with its deep brown color and soft, fruity aroma, is the type used most often in Japan. Japanese light soy spends less time in f
ermentation tanks and is paler, with a milder flavor than the dark. Cooks from southwestern Japan, wher the cuisine is very light and delicate, favor it because it adds flavor but not color.
Chines-style soy sauces are generally saltier nad have a much stronger flavor than the sweeter, mellower Japanese soy sauces. The Chinese sauces range from very thickm dark, paste-like mixtures to some that are quite thin and lightly colored. A bit of molasses gives their dark soy a slightly sweet flavor. The Chines also make mushroom soy sauce, which is dark soy sauce flavored with straw mushrooms.
In both countries, light soy sauces are saltier than dark. An easy way to distinguish between the two is to shake the bottle. Dark soy sauce will coat the sides of the bottle; the more watery light soy won't.
Tamari sauce is made much the same way as soy sauce is but without wheat. Some find its flavor unpleasantly metallic. Reduced-sodium soy sauces are just an excuse for health food store to charge ridiculous prices. If you're sensitive to sodium, you'll get more flavor by simply diluting a good-quality soy sauce with water, broth, or wine than by buying a more expensive "lite" product which has little taste.
Avoid artificially produced soy sauces that are invading grocery shelves. Unlike Japanese or chinese companies that brew their soy sauce according to the centuries-old process, American manufactureres often take shortcuts, mixing soy protein with water, corn syrup, salt and caramel color to produce a harsh, salty liquids that has none of the complexity and richness of a good-quality soy sauce. To be sure you're getting authentic brands, look for the words "naturally brewed" on the label.
The deep color and strong sweet-salty taste of Chinese dark soy sauce is well paired with hearty foods that won't be overwhelmed by its powerful color and flavor. Meats and "red-cooked" dishes, in which foods are braised slowly to develop an appetizing reddish brown color, are good choices for dark soy sauce. Light Chinese soy sauce is well matched with more subtly flavored foods, such as seafood, vegetables and poultry dishes. Use it, too, for dipping sauces and marinades. While Chines-style soy sauces are indispensable in some traditional recioes, they're certainly not to everyone's taste, and they'll overwhelm the flavor of subtler Japanese and Southeast Asian dishes. Mushroom soy sauce, often used to flavor meat or vegetable stir-fries, is delicious, but its flavor is quite potent. Use it sparingly.
Japanese dark soy sauce is the most versatile for Western dishes as well as for traditional Asian food. Kikkoman is a good all-purpose soy sauce. Made by a Japanese company in Wisconsin, this Japanese-style soy sauce has a well-rounded, complex flavor with a slightly sweet aftertaste. Recommended for all types of cooking.
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