Soy sauce is a salty condiment produced through the fermentation of soybeans and wheat. It originated in China and is now produced in many Asian countries. Soy sauce is also used as Soup soy sauce.
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How Is Soup Soy Sauce Made and Is It Bad For You?
Soy sauce is a very flavorful ingredient made from fermented soybeans and wheat.
It originated in China and has been used in cooking for over 1,000 years.
Today, it’s one of the best-known soy products worldwide. It is a staple ingredient in many Asian countries and is used widely across the rest of the world.
The way it’s produced can vary significantly, causing significant changes in flavor and texture, as well as health risks.
This article investigates how soy sauce is produced and its potential health risks and benefits.
What Is Soy Sauce?
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 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 after soy sauce.
The four basic ingredients in soy sauce are soybeans, wheat, salt, and fermenting agents like mold or yeast.
How Is It Made?
Many different types of soy sauce are available. They can be grouped based on their production methods, regional variations, color, and also taste differences.
Traditional Production
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 Soup soy sauce and wheat proteins, gradually breaking them down into amino acids. The starches are converted to simple sugars, then fermented to lactic acid and alcohol.
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After the aging process is complete, the mixture is laid out onto a 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 also.
How is Soy Sauce used For Soup Soy Sauce(Guk Ganjang)?
This Korean soy sauce is made during the process of making Doenjang. Fermented soybean is placed in brine to make doenjang. Once completed, The solids become doenjang, and the remaining liquid becomes soup soy sauce. It is lighter in color than traditional soy sauce but is stronger and saltier in flavor, which allows it to flavor large pots of soup without disrupting the color and appearance of the dish. It is mainly used in soups.
Korean soup soy sauce is usually used to season soups (herb/vegetable side dishes), but it can also be used as a general soy sauce. Note that it is saltier than the more common (JIN GANJANG and YANGJO GANJANG) soy sauces, so adjust accordingly when cooking (taste test often!). Its lighter hue also won’t add much color to dishes or muddy clear soups.
Production
Traditional Korean soy sauce soup
Soup soy sauce is made entirely of fermented soybeans and brine. The brewing process also produces doenjang, a Korean fermented bean paste.
Meju, Korean soybean brick, is made around ipdong in early November. Soybeans are soaked overnight, boiled in salt water, and then pounded in a mortar or coarsely ground with a millstone. About a doe (≈1.8 liters) or two of pounded soybeans are chunked, compressed, and shaped into a cube or a sphere called meju.
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The meju bricks are then dried in a cool, shaded area for a week to several weeks until firm. When the bricks harden, they are tied with rice straws to the eaves of the house, or put in a warm ondol room with rice straw, to ferment. In Jeongwol, the first month of the lunar year, well-fermented meju bricks are washed and sun-dried.
After drying, the menu bricks are aged in crocks with brine. Charcoal and chilies are added for their adsorbent and antibacterial properties, as well as folk-religious beliefs that they drive away evil spirits. As the fermentation progresses, the brine acquires flavor and color. Soup soy sauce aged brine is boiled to become soy sauce, and the rest (aged menu chunks) is mashed to become soybean paste.
More things we can make from Soy Sauce are:
Three Ultimate Korean BBQ Dipping Sauce
Directions For Making Soup Soy Sauce
- Sterilize your jars. Fill two 4-quart glass jars or one 8-quart jar (or use any number of jars as long as the total will hold 8 quarts) with boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes. Pour the water out and let the containers air dry.
- Place a folded piece of cheesecloth in a strainer set over a large bowl. Strain the soy sauce, leaving any solids behind.
- Transfer the clear soy sauce to a large heavy pot, cover, and heat over medium-high heat until it begins to boil, 20 -30 minutes.
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- Turn the heat down to medium and boil for 15 to 20 minutes to sterilize the sauce without boiling too much of it away. This step will create a very strong, persistent smell. Be careful carrying it out in closed areas, or around people who are sensitive to strong aromas.
- Remove the lid and cool the sauce thoroughly.
- Transfer the sauce of Soup soy sauce to the sterilized glass jars. The soup soy sauce will keep indefinitely at room temperature.
fermented soybeans
Soup soy sauce is made entirely of fermented soybeans and brine. The brewing process also produces doenjang, a Korean fermented bean paste. Meju, Korean soybean brick, is made around ipdong in early November.
Guk-ganjang
It’s very strong, fermented, salty, flavorful, and full of umami, so it’s perfect for flavoring and salting soups and side dishes (which is why it’s called “soup soy sauce,” or “soy sauce for soups”).
“If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to the broth,” she says.
There are various ways to make soy sauce, but traditionally it’s made using five main ingredients: soybeans, wheat, water, salt, and yeast.
Conclusion
Soy sauce has a ton of flavor benefits to offer meat. Essentially, soy sauce will help your meat taste meatier. Because protein already has a considerable amount of umami flavor, adding soy sauce can make it a savory sensation. yasuo yamamotos soy sauce saltiness and umami flavor make it such a versatile ingredient, you can use it to whip up a seemingly endless list of culinary creations. Soy sauce is an extremely versatile ingredient that can be used as a table condiment or added to dishes during cooking for extra flavor.
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