In the world of cooking, soy sauce holds a special place. This sauce, made from soybeans mixed with water, salt, and time, is not just a friend to vegetarians but also the soul of Asian cuisine.
There are many types of soy sauce, each with its own flavour and purpose.
From Taiwan’s three treasures (soy sauce, thick soy sauce, and dark soy sauce) to Hong Kong’s light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and first extract, and Japan’s five categories according to JAS standards, every type has something unique to offer. Soy sauce doesn’t just make food smell and look good. It also adds rich flavours to dishes. Whether it’s for frying, marinating, or seasoning, soy sauce adds more layers of flavour in food.
Taiwanese soy sauce
In Taiwan, you will find three main types that are soy sauce, thick soy sauce, and dark soy sauce.
- Soy sauce – The saltiest with a strong aroma, perfect for stir-fries and vegetables. The quality depends on the ingredients and how it is made, ideally without preservatives. A high total nitrogen content means better quality but also a higher price.
- Thick soy sauce – This is thicker because starch is added during its making. It is sweeter than soy sauce but lacks the fermented aroma, great for sauces or drizzling over vegetables.
- Dark soy sauce – Dark soy sauce is made from black beans. It is thick and rich in bean flavour.
HongKongese soy sauce
The soy sauces in Hong Kong are basically classified into light, dark, and first extract.
- Light soy sauce – Light soy sauce is known for its bright colour and flavour-enhancing properties. it is good to use for cooking and marinating because it is salty taste and freshness relatively.
- Dark soy sauce – Dark soy sauce is thicker compared with light soy sauce. It is made by adding caramel to light soy sauce. It is darker and stronger. It is ideal for adding colour to dishes like braised or marinated foods.
- First extract soy sauce – First tract soy sauce is the premium batch from the brewing process, offering a richer flavour and aroma.
- Swiss sauce – It is a sweet soy sauce in Hong Kong. Why is the sweet soy sauce called “Swiss sauce”? There was a story in the history. Hong Kong was a British colonial city before July 1997. Long time ago, a customer wanted to ask for a little of sweet sauce in a western cafe. However, the waiter thought that the customer requested “Swiss sauce”. Hence, the sweet soy sauce is also named as Swiss sauce in Hong Kong.
Korean soy sauce
Korean soy sauces are basically categorised into soup soy sauce and brewed soy sauce.
- Soup soy sauce – Its level of salt is high. It does not have sweetness. It is good to use in soups, dressing, or for adding colours on the food.
- Brewed soy sauce – It is mildly salty with some sweetness. It is versatile for stews, stir-fries, and marinating.
Japanese soy sauce
Japanese soy sauce is known for its distinct taste, often enhanced with a bit of rice wine or sake, creating a sweeter flavour. There are roughly five types:
- Koikuchi shoyu is dark soy sauce. It is common with a deep colour and aroma. It is suitable for all kinds of cooking.
- Usukuchi shoyu is lighter in colour but salter than the classic one. It is also called light soy sauce. It is more common in western Japan. However, it can keep food colours intact because it is lighter in colour.
- Tamari is kind of sweet soy sauce. It is sweet and popular in areas like Kyushu and Hokuriku. The closer to the sea, the sweeter it gets. It is kind of soy-sauce like product that is the by-product of making miso.
- Shiro shoyu is white soy sauce. It is amber in colour. It seasons without changing the dish’s colour.
- Saishikomi shoyu is double brewed soy sauce. It is richer and more flavourful, brewed from soy sauce. It is dark in colour. It is rich in texture.
Exploring the world of soy sauce is like exploring the depth and breadth of Asian vegetarian cuisine. Let this small bottle of seasoning start a wonderful journey of taste for you.
