Is There Really Soy in Soy Sauce?

I don't know anyone who doesn't like soy sauce. I mean, what's not to like?

It's funny though because although we've all used it before, probably very few of us have ever stopped to think about what it is.

I've always thought of it as a fancy salt shaker more than anything else.

There's more to it than that though.

It's an ancient condiment! Can you believe that? People have been using it for thousands of years to give their food more flavor. It's also soya sauce in Britain and shoyu in Japan.

It's actually made from fermented soybeans, so it's good for you. Of course, you need to watch out for high-sodium blends and make sure not to eat too much of it because it is sodium dense.

Long ago, the fermentation was a bit more natural than now-- it used to be aged in big barrels in the sun. It was strained after several months of fermentation and there you had it. Today, as you can guess, it's made with machines in warehouses, and it takes only a few days.

Good types do not have coloring or extra flavoring added, as all the natural flavoring should come from the fermentation process. If you see "caramel coloring" on the packing, steer clear. That's basically brown food coloring. The lower grade brands have no nutritional benefit and might even be bad for you.

Another thing to look out for is hydrolyzed soy protein, which usually goes hand-in-hand with caramel coloring since those soy sauces aren't made from natural fungus. And, definitely stay away from corn syrup. It's in everything, isn't it?!

You may have noticed that there are many types of soy sauce around the world. It is most common in Asian culture, but each country (and sometimes region of the country) has its own take on the sauce.

In China, the two main types are light and dark. Easy enough to remember.

Here are the differences:

• Light Chinese sauce is saltier and used for seasoning rather than coloring

• Premium light sauce is made from the first pressing of the soybean and is higher quality, another expensive kind is double-fermented light soy sauce

• Dark Chinese sauce is thicker and and darker and has molasses added

• The dark sauce is used in cooking as it is sweeter and more intense in flavor

In Indonesia, there are again two main types.. Both their names start with kecap, which means "fermented sauce." Here are their differences:

• Kecap asin is is salty, and very like Chinese light soy sauce

• Kecap manis is sweet, and has palm sugar added.

Japanese soy sauce is harder to remember because there are more varieties. It is quite different from Chinese and Indonesian sauces, but closest to Chinese dark.

• Koikuchi is used in the majority of Japanese regions and is made from equal parts soybeans and wheat

• Tamari is darker and richer than Koikuchi and is wheat-free, so it has become popular in the United States as more people go to wheat-free diets

• Shiro is mostly wheat sauce with very little soybeans, so it is very light colored, almost white

• Usukuchi is also lighter than the first two varieties. It has amazake, which is made from fermented rice

• The last main type is Saishikomi, which is the darkest and has the strongest flavor

• There are low-salt varieties that are made now, but since they are not made the same as the typical, they are considered a different variety

• There are also different grades of sauce depending on how much of the product is naturally fermented, if it's pasteurized (lower quality), if there are added ingredients, and if there's a limited quantity.

Confused yet? Eh, don't worry too much about the different names.

If a recipe requires a different type of sauce, it will ask for it and will typically explain the difference. You can always check back here for more of an explanation. It's easiest just to remember Koikuchi, Tamari, and low-sodium varieties when it comes to Japanes soy sauce.

Soy sauce is also made in Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Malaysia, and they all have different takes on the taste and consistency.

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