Soy sauce is
a salty liquid condiment traditionally produced by fermenting soybeans and
wheat.It is thought to have originated from a Chinese product called “chiang” over
3,000 years ago. Similar products were developed in Japan, Korea, Indonesia and
across Southeast Asia.
- It first came
to Europe in the 1600s through Dutch and Japanese trading.
- The word
“soy” comes from the Japanese word for soy sauce, “shoyu.” In fact, the soybean
itself was named from soy sauce.
- The four
basic ingredients in soy sauce are soybeans, wheat, salt and fermenting agents
like mold or yeast.
- Regional
varieties of soy sauce may have varying amounts of these ingredients, resulting
in different colors and flavors.
- Traditional
soy sauce is made by soaking soybeans in water and roasting and crushing the
wheat. Then the soybeans and wheat are mixed with a culturing mold, most
commonly Aspergillus, and left for two to three days
to develop.
- Next, water
and salt are added, and the entire mixture is left in a fermenting tank for
five to eight months, though some types may age longer.
- During
fermentation, enzymes from the mold act on the soy and wheat proteins,
gradually breaking them down into amino acids. The starches are converted to
simple sugars, then fermented to lactic acid and alcohol.
- After the
aging process is complete, the mixture is laid out onto cloth and pressed to
release the liquid. This liquid is then pasteurized to kill any bacteria.
Finally, it’s bottled.
- High-quality
soy sauce uses only natural fermentation. These varieties are often labeled
“naturally brewed.” The ingredients list will usually only contain water,
wheat, soy and salt.