Its unique taste and aroma soy sauce conquered the culinary experts of Japan and China more than two thousand years ago - these countries are considered the birthplace of the product. And following Europe, we also tried this product - today soy sauce is added to a variety of dishes by both famous chefs and ordinary housewives.
What is his secret?
Unlike other, almost tasteless soy products, this sauce has a bright, piquant taste that goes well with almost any dish, excluding sweets.
Selection of soy sauce- an important and responsible matter, because not only the taste of your dish, but also... your state of health will depend on your choice.
Soy sauce May be natural and chemical, and if the first is for good, then the second is an extremely ambiguous and sometimes even harmful product.
How to choose a natural product?
To choose correctly soy sauce, it is important to know that although it is produced simply, it takes a very long time: soybean and wheat grains are filled with salt water and left to ferment for several months. In natural soy sauce no artificial flavor enhancers are added - all the flavors and aromas inherent in this product are produced naturally. In addition to the components already mentioned, a good soy sauce may contain natural additives such as garlic extract, dill, etc. They slightly change the taste of the seasoning, making it richer and more saturated.
Sometimes, in order to speed up the ripening process, certain microorganisms are added to the sauce, which, however, do not harm either the quality or taste of the product.
Unfortunately, some manufacturers choose the easiest way, thanks to which they obtain a certain analogue of soy sauce, which not only loses its beneficial features, but it also turns out tasteless and even harmful. The cooking process comes down to the fact that soybeans are boiled in sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, and then “quenched” with an alkaline solution, resulting in the formation of a strong toxic carcinogen - a surrogate that undermines our health.
Types of natural sauce.
- Dark- has a thick consistency, a pronounced aroma, ideal for meat marinades and fish.
- Light- lighter consistency, salty taste without a characteristic aroma, excellent as a salad dressing and base for sauces.
What should you pay attention to when buying soy sauce?
- Don't be tempted by the too low price. A product whose preparation process takes such a long time simply cannot be cheap. Plus, you need to take into account the cost of packaging and transporting the sauce.
- Be sure to read the composition of the product: soy sauce obtained by natural fermentation should contain only soy, wheat and natural additives, which have already been described above. The label should also contain an inscription stating that the sauce is “produced on the basis of natural (natural) fermentation.” As a rule, such an inscription is absent on artificial seasoning. In addition, the content of sugar (fructose), vinegar, yeast and other components in the sauce indicates that this is an unnatural product.
- The label should also indicate for which dishes a particular type of sauce is intended. After all, a product that perfectly emphasizes the taste of meat is completely unsuitable for fish.
- Natural soy sauce should only be bottled in a glass bottle - only in it will it fully retain its original taste and aroma. In addition, the container must be transparent so that you can see its contents in detail.
- High-quality sauce can come in different shades Brown- from light to dark, but not black.
- Natural sauce has a very soft, rich, sometimes sweetish taste and its smell is not repulsive, unlike unnatural sauce, which has a characteristic pungent chemical smell, too salty and bitterish taste, interrupting the taste of the main products.
The article was prepared based on materials from the publication “Culinary Tips from Our Kitchen”.
Posting this article on other sites is permitted only with an active link to the source.
Until relatively recently, the only available seasonings for dishes were salt and pepper. Today the abundance of options is simply amazing. And soy sauce is becoming increasingly popular. This is one of the most important products of Asian cuisine, which allows you to place accents and highlight the merits of the dish. The product is obtained through fermentation, and the base is soybeans. For this purpose, special fungi are used. It looks like a dark liquid with a pungent odor. When you buy it for the first time, you may be somewhat discouraged by the taste of the product. However, this is only until you get to know the sauce better.
From time immemorial
It is truly the king of Japanese cuisine, where it is used everywhere. Thanks to him, almost any appetizer acquires a special piquancy and sophistication. You can make any sauces based on it. Add your favorite spices and get new tastes every time. All housewives note how different the taste of the finished product is if you add just a little sauce. It is also an excellent base for marinating meat, vegetables and seafood.
Main advantages
This is an ideal product that allows you to make a dish spicy, tasty and healthy at the same time. All nutritionists unanimously recommend it. Just one spoon of this amazing sauce replaces salt and many other seasonings at the same time. In addition, it does not contain cholesterol, and the calorie content is only 55 kcal per 100 g. But there is one difficulty, how to choose the highest quality, tasty and useful product. Today we want to talk about which soy sauce is the best.
Industrial production
In fact, the technology is very simple, and therefore there are many manufacturers who want to make money by producing soy sauce. Initially it was done like this. The soybeans were evaporated, roasted wheat and salt were added to it, after which the mixture was distributed into bags or vessels and left in the sun to allow the natural fermentation process to occur. As you understand, such production took a lot of time.
Today, market demands are increasing every day, and the manufacturer must keep up with them in order to remain in demand. Therefore, they will come up with ways to speed up the process. To do this, bacteria were added to the mixture of wheat and soybeans, making it possible to prepare the fermentation product within a month.
Modern production
However, speaking about which soy sauce is the best, it should be noted that there are manufacturers for whom there is no other truth than profit. Therefore, they actively use the achievements of the chemical industry. And this is done very simply. In the first case, soy concentrate is diluted with water, supplemented with dyes and flavors, and the finished product is poured into bottles. In the second case, soybeans are boiled with hydrochloric acid. During the cooking process, harmful alkalis are formed that cannot be removed from the finished product.
How to keep your family safe
If you love Japanese cuisine, then you should definitely know which soy sauce is the best. With the abundance of offers on the market today, it’s easy to get confused, so always adhere to the following rules:
Main types
Judging by the assortment in stores, it may seem that there are dozens of them. Sweet and salty, spicy, with herbs and honey, with meat and vegetables. There are actually only three types, and it's up to you to find out which soy sauce is the best. We will now make life easier for the buyer by talking about these types.
- The most popular is koi-kuti. It has a rich dark color and is perfect for meat sauces and thick gravies. Therefore, if you are wondering which soy sauce is best for meat, then choose this variety. It has a high salt content, but it has an excellent, bright and expressive taste and the darkest color.
- Tamarin is an ideal choice for those who are on a low-salt diet but love the taste of soy sauce. When choosing which soy sauce was the best, control purchase tested many samples and customer reviews. As a result, this particular type was recognized as the best for its high concentration of soybeans and minimal salt content.
- Usu-kuti. If you do not want the dish to change its color, then it is best to choose this variety. It is lighter, with less pronounced taste properties, but nevertheless ideal if you need to emphasize the delicate taste of fish or seafood. Therefore, if you are looking for which soy sauce is the best for sushi, then pay attention to this mark on the package.
Soy sauce from Maxchup
This product is produced in Thailand. In our ranking it takes fifth place, since its popularity among consumers is quite high. The assortment is simply incredible: for shish kebab, barbecue, roast, Mexican, salads and marinades and many others. All sauces are packaged in 200 ml glass bottles. The price is quite affordable, about 400 rubles per bottle. But the composition is simply scary. Flavor enhancers, which can cause intestinal disorders, coexist with stabilizers and preservatives, among which there are active allergens. There is also no data about the naturalness of flavoring additives; most likely, the taste of garlic, mushrooms and other dishes is the result of chemical reactions.
Trademark UMI
This product is produced in Vietnam, but it is not much different from the traditional Japanese one. Two varieties of this brand are very popular on the market: mushroom and classic. Contains sugar, salt, water, soybean extract. Mushrooms are characterized by appropriate additives. No dyes, preservatives or stabilizers. Consumers emphasize the familiar, salty taste, normal consistency, as well as a very affordable price. In our rating it takes fourth place, since it has quite acceptable quality, but does not fully correspond to the original recipe. You don’t have to look any further for a good and inexpensive soy sauce; feel free to buy products from this brand.
"Blue Dragon"
Country of origin: Great Britain. A very interesting and high-quality product, but it did not gain much popularity in Russia. Only in large shopping centers you can find this sauce. No chemical additives, stabilizers or other chemical “delights” were found in the composition. The only thing in which it differs from the original is the acidity regulator. When choosing which soy sauce is best for salad, pay attention to the products of this trademark. Today there are both dark and light Blue Dragon. That is, the manufacturer is trying to meet the true Japanese taste standard.
Heinz brand
This product is produced in the Netherlands. This is a well-known company that markets various ketchups and mayonnaises, as well as other sauces of all stripes and shades. The manufacturer could not resist starting to produce soy sauce. The company claims that the product does not contain dyes or preservatives and is made according to the original recipe.
Just look at the label and it becomes clear that these words are true. The only additive is caramel as a coloring agent. That is why if you are looking for the best soy sauce for marinade, then pay attention to this product. It is caramel that gives the unique dark color and delicate, enveloping taste. This sauce is presented in one flavor and packaged in 200 ml glass bottles. Its price is about 9,000 rubles. The cost is quite high, however, the consumption of soy sauce is relatively small and one bottle will last you for a long time.
According to ancient traditions
This is how Kikkoman brand soy sauce is made, using the same Japanese recipe for 300 years. The manufacturer maintains all proportions of soybeans, water, salt and wheat. There are no preservatives or flavor enhancers in the composition. We have reached number one in our ranking and can safely name the ideal soy sauce. Which is the best, the reviews tell you best. Kikkoman is the optimal balance of taste, color and consistency.
Products under this brand are divided into two subcategories: the first, in turn, is divided into sweet and classic. The taste of both can become the basis for the preparation of marinades and sauces. The sweeter one is most often used for dressing salads, but the classic taste is a universal additive for any dish.
The second category divides sauces according to the amount of salt. That is, you can choose more or less salty, depending on your taste preferences. The cost of a small 100 ml bottle is about 2000 rubles. If you want to appreciate the taste of Japanese cuisine, then try this unique product. It will definitely take root in your kitchen.
The SEN SOY brand has quite a lot of varieties of soy sauces; in any case, the range has a decent selection.
Previously, I bought other soy sauces of the same brand and tried a lot, including its counterparts in plastic bottles. I don’t remember their composition, but they were noticeably cheaper and had different flavors (if memory serves, there was even mushroom-flavored soy sauce in the assortment).
So, SEN SOY "Premium" naturally fermented soy sauce turned out to taste the most pleasant in my opinion. Quite soft, not too much salt (otherwise some varieties even stung the mucous membranes of my mouth, sorry), the taste is quite balanced.
I did not detect any foreign tastes, including chemical ones. The aroma also corresponds to naturally fermented soy sauce - it is not aggressive, faintly perceptible, somewhat reminiscent of bread kvass (in smell). The taste is quite rich, but not overly so. The color also matches the soy sauce.
Compound(if the photo looks bad): water, soybeans, wheat, salt, sugar. For me personally, the composition is very pleasant; it does not contain dyes or preservatives. The bottle is glass, not plastic.
SEN SOY Premium (Classic) soy sauce caused me personally only positive emotions, no negative reactions from the body were observed. I have no complaints.
In general, this sauce is so far the best that has gone well with seafood... well, of those that I have visited. In any case, before this I didn’t really want to re-buy any sauce and I was constantly trying new ones. And with this sauce I have a desire to repeat it.
And with homemade rolls, I haven’t yet come across a tastier sauce (if we are talking about ready-made industrially produced sauces).
It's hard to imagine without soy sauce. For us, it’s just a kind of dressing for meat or fish. But in Japan, soy sauce is used like salt. It is added not only to meat and fish, but also to fried and boiled vegetables, and to soups. It is this product that allows you to get the perfect taste of your dishes. But which is the best is difficult to determine. After all, there are a huge number of manufacturers. In addition, the dressing is available with various flavoring additives. First, we should consider its properties.
How is soy sauce made?
Which one is the best best product, can be purchased in stores in our country? To answer the questions posed, you should pay attention to the composition and, of course, understand the method of preparing soy sauce. Soybeans and wheat are used to make the dressing. The components are usually poured cold water. After this, brine, salt and Koji fungus are added. The last product is a sourdough starter that is grown on soybeans. All components are thoroughly mixed. The result is a wort called “moromi”. The products are left in this form until fermentation. At the end of the process, the mass is filtered and brought to a boil. This gets rid of all bacteria.
Types of soy sauce
To understand which soy sauce is best for meat, chicken or rolls, you should consider the main varieties of this dressing. Currently, three types of products are used in Japanese cuisine:
Is soy sauce healthy?
Which one is the best? A photo of a product is unlikely to help determine its taste. And when choosing such a dressing, special attention should be paid to the composition. However, many believe that soy sauce does not benefit our body. However, it is not. All useful components found specifically in soybeans.
It is this product that contains a huge amount of proteins, which in their quality are not inferior to the substances found in meat products. In addition, it is very rich in starch, amino acids, minerals, phytoestrogens and vitamins. It is worth noting that these beans can provide the human body with almost all the necessary nutritional components. The first to appreciate the beneficial properties of soy were the people of China. In this country, beans have become a sacred crop.
What is the best soy sauce?
The benefits of this product have already been proven. However, not everyone knows which dressing is best to buy and what it can be used with. Soy sauce is ideal not only for rolls. This product can be added to flour products, meat, vegetable and fish dishes. The dressing is suitable for both cereals and poultry. It is used as a basis for preparing garlic, mushroom and other dressings.
There is light and dark sauce. They have significant differences. And if you decide to try it for the first time, then it is better to give preference to light dressings. They contain a little salt and can be added to any dish. As for dark soy sauce, it is best used with fish, meat and poultry dishes. This product has a richer taste. It is worth noting that soy sauce is simply irreplaceable in the preparation of various marinades. Here is a list of the most popular gas stations. This will allow you to determine which soy sauce is best for sushi or meat.
Kikkoman sauce
The recipe for this dressing was created about 300 years ago. The product is manufactured in accordance with all requirements. At the same time, the proportions of the main components - salt, wheat, beans and water - remain unchanged. It is worth noting that this soy sauce is made exclusively from natural products and does not contain artificial additives.
All ingredients are usually listed on the label. In addition, the manufacturer claims that the product has a natural shade. This gas station is available on the market in several versions:
- Naturally brewed sweet.
- Natural brewed classic.
Features of Kikkoman soy sauce
So, which soy sauce is the best: classic or sweet? In this case, the choice of Kikkoman product depends on the type of dish being prepared. Sweet is best used for preparing various marinades, as well as for dressing vegetable salads. As for the classic, it is universal and suitable for almost all dishes. It is worth noting that this dressing is ideal for sushi.
You can find Kikkoman soy sauce in stores at a price of 100 to 150 rubles per small jar. This product is suitable for those who want to purchase high quality refills at an affordable price. Kikkoman soy sauce is produced in the Netherlands.
Heinz product
So, what is the best soy sauce for rolls? As consumer reviews show, you can purchase Heinz brand dressing for Japanese dishes. The product is also manufactured in the Netherlands. According to the manufacturer, the sauce consists exclusively of natural ingredients. The ingredients on the label prove this. There is nothing synthetic about it. Of course, there is only one food additive in the composition. This is natural caramel. It is often added to give the product a certain shade. However, in this case, the component gives the dressing a unique, enveloping, delicate taste.
Soy is available in only one type - in jars with a volume of 200 milliliters. In this case, the manufacturer’s honesty captivates many. However, many consumers found this product to be mediocre. At the same time, the price of the product fully corresponds to its quality.
Blue Dragon soy sauce
This soy sauce is made in the UK. It is difficult to find anything harmful in the product. The only food additive contained in this dressing is lactic acid. But in some cases you simply cannot do without it. There are currently several versions of Blue Dragon soy sauce sold: dark and light. This concept can be seen as an attempt to maintain taste standards as well as the true classification of a product from Japan.
Maxchup gas station
Not sure which soy sauce is best for wings? The product of the Thai company Maxchup is ideal. This sauce is intended for those who are not afraid to experiment and love something spicy. In this case, culinary possibilities are limited only by the volume of packaging. The dressing is sold in jars of 200 milliliters each.
Maxchup soy sauce can be used not only for cooking poultry. This product is ideal for marinating kebabs, for roasting, and also for creating dishes from the cuisine of distant Latin America. Of course, the product has its own taste qualities universal. However, after considering the composition of this soy sauce, many may seriously think about their health. On the gas station label you can see E627 and E631. These components are, the use of which often leads to intestinal disorders.
In addition, Maxchup soy sauce contains: E440 and E 415 - stabilizers, E211 - a preservative that takes part in the formation of malignant tumors. You can see on the label and Many of the listed components are dangerous. But at the same time, for many consumers, Maxchup remains a good and better sauce.
Mivimex soy sauce
So what is the best soy sauce right now? Finding the ideal price-quality ratio is very difficult. After all, many manufacturers add additional food additives to their products, which can improve the taste of the dressing, but at the same time harm the body. These products include Mivimex. At the moment there is only one type of this soy sauce. I am glad that the manufacturer does not hide the composition of the product. On the label you can see monosodium glutamate - E621, which is the cause of depression, nausea, and headaches. In addition, it contains E201 and E211. These components can cause allergies.
Legendary CHIN-Su
A few years ago, this soy sauce became very famous. It distinguished itself greatly among gas stations of other brands and gained notoriety. Unfortunately, for many consumers it remains the best. CHIN-Su soy sauce was able to attract the attention of the Belgian Association. This organization has great authority in the food market. Its representatives conducted research. As a result, the carcinogen 3-MCPD was found in large quantities in CHIN-Su soy sauce. The company making the product has received a warning.
On the label, in addition to the main components, the manufacturer indicated the presence of standard preservatives - E201 and E211, as well as the presence of flavorings. Now you know which soy sauce is “the best”.
Product "Dobrada"
If you are making a marinade, what is the best soy sauce? The Dobrada product goes well with honey and mustard. This gas station is available in a fairly wide range. If desired, you can purchase spicy, mushroom and, of course, garlic soy sauce. All products of this brand have a bright and unique taste. The sauces contain food additives E211 and E202.
Manufacturers do not violate the specified quality standards when producing the product. However, there is a mystery here too. Dobrada brand soy sauce is produced in Vietnam. And the packaging location is a mystery.
UMI products
This soy sauce has long gained popularity among consumers. Many buyers are completely confident in it. In addition, on the packaging of UMI mushroom and classic soy sauce you can see an almost perfect composition. The same cannot be said about other varieties of this product. For many, this brand of gas station represents an excellent combination of price and quality. In addition, UMI soy sauce does not cause any harm to health. On the label you can see the detailed composition: water, soybean extract, sugar and salt. Be careful when choosing soy sauce.
For several years now, “sushi delivery” has reached the most remote places of our vastness. Honestly. I came across similar advertisements at the bus station in the small Ryazan city of Kasimov. :) And soy sauce from a cloud of manufacturers is firmly nestled on our shelves and not only in the “ oriental cuisine" Moreover, folk craftsmen, worthy of one popular community, have learned to make it at home for their beloved husband. Here is a link to the culinary masterpiece: http://hlebopechka.ru/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=126&topic=221645.0
Is the general public aware that for ten years now the Japanese, the inventors of soy sauces, have been beating all their drums and calling on a goldfish to fulfill their desire for recognition? national pride- naturally fermented soy sauce made using traditional technology, the only one that has the right to be called “naturally brewed soy sauce”, and everything else would be called “non-brewed soy sauce”. For now, however, these are just their dreams. But a drop, as we know, wears away a stone.
Despite the fact that the lion's share of the market consists of designer sauces made from chemicals, sales of naturally brewed sauces are constantly growing, and this is noticeable even on our shelves. And buyers who carefully read labels will easily notice this and make their choice.
What do our stores offer us under the name “soy sauce” and how to choose one that is tasty and healthy.
The range of prices and offers is impressive even on the shelf of one store, but I was not lazy and went around three, and finally chose more or less natural ones that suited the theme. Well, we must be in the global trend, and therefore I came across: Heinz soy sauce, produced according to the “original recipe” from soy hydrolysate, yeast concentrate, glucose syrup, molasses, caramel coloring, “spices and herbs”, etc. components, as well as all similar Chinese and Korean ones, are excluded from my review. Judging whose chemicals are the most gluttonous is not healthy enough.
Step one. In the shop.
Well, sir. What do we see when we approach the shelves with bottles? According to the manufacturer’s good will, the label “naturally fermented sauce” obliges this product to be packaged in glass bottles, which extends the shelf life of such a sauce to 24 months. The sauce is stored in polyethylene for 1.5 years. In addition, the composition is indicated on the bottle, although everyone knows that soy sauce is prepared from soybeans, wheat malt, water and salt. Well, OK. We found such a bottle and brought it home. What to do with her next?
Well, of course, one of the first tasks here is to evaluate appearance bottles and find on them the inscription about the composition and the words “natural fermentation”. The word fermentation made me think of shaking the bottle. This can also be done before purchasing. A persistent foam certainly indicates that the sauce has indeed been fermented. If the foam subsides quickly, there may be options.
No. 2, 3 and 5 - Thai, Chinese and Japanese sauces showed average foam stability. #5 – Double fermented soy sauce with reduced salt content has the darkest color, which is noticeable even in the color of the foam. And probably the richest taste. But the bottle is intended as a gift and this sauce was not included in the further review.
No. 6 – Russian-made Sen Soi proved to be quite at the level of the others. But No. 1 The bamboo stalk produced very little foam, which tried to dissolve immediately.
Second step. Open the bottle.
And we inhale the smell. Experience has shown that it should be sweet and pleasant. No glutamate, acid or yeast.
In this regard, all sauces turned out to be approximately equal - both in strength and pleasant smell. Except for #1, who was different from everyone else.
Step three. Visual effects.
Pour a small amount of sauce into a spoon or bowl and carefully examine the color, shine, transparency and you can immediately evaluate the “saturation”. A good sauce is quite thick and shiny, and has a reddish halo around the edges. The exception is the so-called “light” sauces, which can even be light beige so as not to spoil the color of some dishes. Of these, I came across a Chinese one, but maybe it’s “light” in their Chinese style.
It can be seen that sauce No. 1 has a dull light color, in addition, it is also quite liquid. No. 2 Chinese “light” and Russian classic No. 6 are approximately the same color and saturation. It is also clear that Thai No. 3 and Japanese No. 4 sauces are very close in dark color, shine, and richness.
Step four. We evaluate the taste.
Unfortunately, Chinese “light” sauce No. 2 is so salty that I couldn’t taste anything else in it. Japanese sauce No. 4 has almost the same strongly salty taste, but unlike the “light” Chinese sauce, this sauce is so dense that you even feel a certain burning or tingling sensation, especially on the back wall of the palate. Thai sauce has the same strong flavor, but with less salt, allowing for additional flavors to be discerned.
Very similar to its brothers No. 6 Sen soi, but all these shades are softened, perhaps for the sake of the sales market.
But that’s not all, as can be seen from the table, sauce No. 1 is not designated as a fermented sauce. According to the manufacturer, it does not contain anything superfluous, but it differs from the others in terms of evaluation parameters. At best, this sauce is made from a concentrate, the so-called accelerated fermentation, which as a result contains an increased amount of glutamic acid, which is immediately felt in taste and aroma. Another Russian manufacturer takes a more expensive concentrate, naturally fermented, and as a result gets a balanced sauce, practically no different from the Chinese and Thai mainstream, taking into account the peculiarities of our taste.
So.
What does this table above give us? In principle, all these sauces are edible and each worthily represents its manufacturer. But to advise here is only to spoil it; which sauce to choose is a matter of taste. There are lovers of strong tastes, and there are lovers of light ones. For rich meat dishes, sauces with a strong taste are suitable, for fish and vegetable dishes - lighter ones. There are plenty of options. I'm now armed to the teeth. :)
The general conclusion is this: from the table it is obvious that “the more expensive the fur, the better it is” (c) The considered naturally fermented sauces differ, so to speak, in the “density of the wort”. That is, the amount of water added to them before bottling. :) And this fact makes them similar to the long-suffering balsamic vinegar from Modena. Which only the lazy don’t body with cheap wine vinegar, color with caramel and thicken with starch, selling “cream-balm” for a lot of money.
Well, I think that these steps are enough for the first acquaintance.
The topic of soy sauces itself is vast and interesting, and maybe I will soon analyze something in detail for the community.
Tu bi continueed...
