Soy Supplement

Worldwide usage

We all know Chinese take-out food. But ever wondered what it would be without those neat little packs of soy sauce ? The harmless brownish ingredient is a foundation of the Asian cuisine. And still, not many people know about the actual history behind the sauce itself.

Soy sauce appeared more 2500 and even more years ago, in China. At its roots, it was a byproduct. Without the option of refrigerating at hand, to preserve fish and meat, people treated them with salt. The leeching liquid from the salted foods was being used as a seasoning. But this meat-sauce began to lose popularity when the vegetarian practices of Buddhism became popular in China, being replaced by a sauce made of fermented, salty grains.

This tasty invention was discovered by a Zen priest from Japan, who started working on his own recipe, changing it slightly and using fermenting soy beans and salty grains, in equal quantities. This resulted in a more tempered sauce that complimented food and didn’t overpower it. Thus, the modern version of soy sauce was born.

Some soy sauces are still being made the traditional way, even nowadays.

They’re left to ferment 6 months for up to 3 years before it’s bottled and put on the market. These traditionally made blends are considered to be like fine wines, valued for their taste and age. But the soy sauce industry is also subject to innovations, as time marches on. The soy sauce creation process can be sped up to as short as a week, using a chemical process.

Different versions of soy sauce exist throughout the world, each with its own taste, despite the common legacy they carry. The one being used all over Asia originates from China, being available as dark or light. The dark one has molasses added, making it thicker, darker and sweeter. It also adds color and flavor to the food, while the light one is used for seasoning, without its color discoloring the food.

In Japan, five different types of soy sauce exist. Their main ingredient is wheat, also having a wine-like flavor that’s sweeter than the Chinese versions. Popular types of soy sauce in Japan are Usukuchi, Koikuchi and Tamari.

In the Korean soy sauce’s case, doenjang – a byproduct of the bean paste in Korea – is used. This makes the sauce strong and salty, making it generally used solely for traditional dishes. Intriguingly, Korean people use soy sauces created in Japan.

Next time the delivery boy brings you Chinese take-out at your front door and you see a little plastic pack with soy sauce, remember it’s got roots in ancient times.