Soy Sauce

When most people talk about black gold, they’re referring to oil. But some of us think of a different dark liquid, one that is rich and salty and enhances our food. A good soy sauce adds a rich flavor in addition to saltiness, and for that reason can have a life far beyond Asian dishes. We use it in marinades, poaching liquids, and basting sauces; and as a general addition to the spice cabinet.

While many U.S. consumers owns at least one bottle of soy sauce, generally quality brands used in most sushi bars, it is not being used as often as it should.

Why are foodies, who are always looking for new flavor combinations, ignoring soy sauce? Why is it not getting more play in fusion dishes? The soy sauces that most are familiar with are assertive and mighty salty, so perhaps they didn’t invite thinking outside the box. But what if there were other soy sauces out there, boutique or gourmet soy sauces that could be used for much more? With the right soy sauce, could we dress salads, enrich gravies and dips, even take a few sips? The possibilities are seemingly endless.

Soy sauce is a fermentation of soybeans, grain (usually wheat), water and salt. It is typically dark brown (though colors can vary greatly) and has a pleasant, earthy smell. The differences among soy sauces usually come from the varying proportions of soybeans to wheat, as well as added ingredients.

Tamari is a Japanese variation of soy sauce made for cooking, rather than for use a condiment. It contains more soybeans and little or no wheat. It retains more flavors in cooking than soy sauce; and its rich, meaty flavor crosses over well in Western gravies, soups and sauces.

Nearly every country that uses soy sauce as a staple makes it in a different way. It can range anywhere from a thick, black syrup reminiscent of molasses to a golden, clear “white soy sauce.” The sauces can be very salty, lightly salty, or cloying. Even in America, producers of soy sauce add their spin in an attempt to please domestic palates.

The soy sauces that consumers buy most often are Japanese, and are typically made in the style called shoyu. The prevalence of wheat as an ingredient in Japanese soy sauces makes them much sweeter than those from China and less salty than those from Indonesia.

Chinese soy sauces tend to be very high in soybeans and low in wheat. They are usually thicker than the Japanese brands that most consumers in the U.S. are accustomed to – quality Chinese soy sauces bear no relation to the thin, sickly sauce in packets from Chinese restaurants

Here are some basic soy sauce guidelines:

In general, the flavor-forward tamaris are best for cooking. They enhance the flavors of meat, chicken and fish, and they kick up gravies, soups, and stocks.

As a condiment, tamaris are great for sprinkling over caramelized onions, roasted potatoes and stir-fried greens.

Shoyu, the Japanese soy sauces, works best as a dipping sauce with a sushi or tofu, as some of its flavors can be lost during high-heat cooking.

The Chinese soy sauces were the most all-purpose, working well both in the kitchen and at the table.

Two more unusual soy sauces—White Soy Sauce’s Golden White Tamari and Pacific Island Specialties’ Original American Soy Sauce—worked surprisingly well both in Asian dishes and in the most common American dishes, like hamburgers and steaks.

In general, opened bottles of soy sauce should be stored in the refrigerator, as the fermented alcohols in it can break down and cause a loss of flavor. Most people are unaware of this and store soy sauce on their shelf or in the pantry—which is fine if it is consumed relatively quickly, and not good if you still have that bottle on the shelf a year later. If you keep it out of the refrigerator, store it away from direct sunlight, as you would any oil or vinegar.

We hope that we’ve inspired you not only to take your soy sauce off the [refrigerator] shelf and put it to good use, but to also try some of these wonderful “gourmet” soy sauces and see for yourself the difference that the right soy sauce can make in your cooking.

Source: www.thenibble.com/reviews