If our Chinese recipes call for “soy sauce,” “regular soy sauce,” or “light soy sauce,” we are always referring to Chinese light soy sauce (shēng chōu, 生抽). It is generally thinner and lighter in color than the familiar (Japanese) Kikkoman you may have seen on dining tables at sushi restaurants and takeout joints. (We’ll get to the differences between Chinese and Japanese soy sauce later in this article.)

Soy Sauce is such an essential ingredient in so many dishes, it’s hard to find a substitute for it. If you have a gluten allergy, gluten-free soy sauces and gluten-free tamari can be found relatively easily these days. With some creativity, concentrated and solidified soy sauces can do a whole lot more than just saltiness. Their intense umami and luscious texture open up many possibilities in the kitchen.

The Koon Chun is intensely darker. Lee Kum Lee is elegant with a touch of sugar; it's sometimes sold at regular mainstream supermarkets. Made in Taiwan to fit the island nation's cuisine, the one on the far right is sweeter than others. The availability and range of premium soy sauces depends on where you shop. Gluten-Free Soy Sauce

How Concentrated Soy Sauce Benefits Industrial Food Production ◉ Transportation and Storage Efficiency At a Japanese market, you’ll see light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu) which is not low sodium, but rather light in color. In fact, Japanese light soy sauce is saltier than its dark counterpart. There are also high-end shoyu for sushi too, such as the little squat bottle in the photo. Not all sauces are created equal. There are naturally brewed/fermented ones, which is what you want to look for, and then there are chemical versions, which you should stay away from. But if you have questions or other information to share, please let us know in the comments below! How Is It Used? Mix with additional ingredients like sesame oil, chili oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger to create customized dipping sauces.Mushroom Flavored Dark Soy Sauce (Chinese): Dark soy sauce that has been flavored with mushrooms, used to add umami to dishes. The difference is that the premium soy sauce is the first batch extracted from the fermentation process. Additional ingredients are then added and fermented further to create subsequent batches that are slightly less flavorful than that initial batch. Selection tips: A little darker than regular Chinese-style soy sauce, Kikkoman soy sauce is a good all-around soy sauce, especially if you're shopping at a regular supermarket. Pearl River Bridge is very good, especially its Gold Label or Premium Label which has been aged a bit longer. Amoy and Lee Kum Kee are terrific too. Some soy sauce, particular ones from Taiwan, have a sweetness due to sugar being in the formulation. Soy sauce from China and Hong Kong have a saltier finish because there's usually no sugar involved. The flavor of low-sodium is different than that of regular (light/thin) soy sauce. In my recipes, simply cut the regular soy sauce used by one-third (33%) or one-quarter (25%); add water to make up the difference. If you're used to the flavor of low-sodium soy sauce, use it! Dark Soy Sauce In summary, concentrated soy sauce improves production efficiency, standardized flavors, and product innovation for food manufacturers. Its flexibility and intensity make it an ideal ingredient for industrial applications.

We don’t mean to be snobby, but using Japanese soy in a Chinese dish or Chinese soy in a Japanese dish will yield different flavors! Soy sauce is probably the most important condiment across Asia. It acts as a seasoning, as well as a color enhancer, darkening the color of dishes to a rich amber. Y ou’ll use it in stir-fries, sauces, soups, braises, fillings, noodle dishes, dumplings, and more.

Specifications

Light Soy Sauce (Chinese): The word for light soy sauce in Chinese translates to “fresh” soy sauce, as it is traditionally made from the first pressing of fermented soybeans. It is the most commonly used sauce in Chinese cooking. If our recipes call for “soy sauce,” we mean light soy sauce! Among them, Pearl River Bridge, an esteemed brand, is beloved for its variety of concentrated soy sauces. Their repertoire consists of two main types: Light" soy sauce is not low in sodium but rather light in color. It’s saltier and thinner in consistency than dark soy sauce (see below). Sometimes regular light soy sauce is called thin soy sauce.

Concentrated soy sauce has become an increasingly popular product, adding intense umami flavor and versatile functionality to dishes and food manufacturing processes alike. As the world’s palate continues to expand and consumers seek bolder, more authentic Asian flavors, the demand for concentrated soy sauce is likely to grow steadily. Manufacturers will respond by developing innovative varieties and fusion flavors that use concentrated soy sauce as a base. Its efficiency for storage, transport, and precise flavor control also makes this product well-suited for large-scale food production applications. Whether used in a home kitchen or industrial facility, concentrated soy sauce is poised for a bright future as more cooks and food companies recognize its culinary potential. Thin Soy Sauce (Thai): The Thai equivalent of Chinese light soy. Very versatile, used to add saltiness and flavor to stir-fries, marinades, dipping sauces, noodles, fried rice, etc. Around 1200 (Lian Cang Period of Japan), Jue Xin, another Japanese bonze learned in Jin Shan Temple in China. There he mastered the traditional sauce brewing technology of that Temple. When he returned to Japan, he founded Xing Guo Temple in Ji Zhou You and taught his neighbours the sauce brewing technology. In this way, along history witnessed the spreading of soy sauce brewing technology in Japan. But some of our recipes call for “light soy sauce,” while others call for just “soy sauce,” and still others call for “dark soy sauce.” The reduction process removes water content, decreasing volume and weight. This makes concentrated soy sauce cheaper to transport in bulk.Soy sauce sounds like a simple ingredient, and for the most part, it is. However, there are many types. Below are brief descriptions of some of the most common varieties you’re likely to find at your local Asian market. Think of it like first pressed olive oil. It’s the oil extracted from the very first pressing of the olives, making it higher quality and more pure than subsequent pressings. Coconut aminos is similar to Maggi but has a slightly tart finish on the palate. Bragg Liquid Aminos is a fine Maggi substitute that's available at mainstream grocers. Bragg is gluten-free and non-GMO, if those things matter to you. Choosing soy sauce