What is the difference between soy sauce and soy sauce

Although soy sauce is a condiment available in every household, many people still cannot distinguish the types of soy sauce, because in most people's homes there are two kinds of soy sauce at the same time, one is light soy sauce and the other is dark soy sauce. And for those who don’t know much about cooking, in their eyes, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce are the same kind of soy sauce and can be used in any dish. Therefore, it is very important to properly understand the difference between light soy sauce and dark soy sauce.

The difference between light soy sauce and dark soy sauce

Light soy sauce = lighter in color, lighter in flavor, more salty and fresh, mostly used for seasoning;

Dark soy sauce = darker in color, richer in flavor, and lower in umami, so there are products such as straw mushroom dark soy sauce that add straw mushrooms to enhance its umami flavor. It is generally used to color dishes.

2. Classification of soy sauce

Soy sauce is mainly divided into two categories: brewed soy sauce and formulated soy sauce:

Brewed soy sauce - a liquid condiment with special color, aroma and taste made from soybeans and wheat through natural fermentation of microorganisms.

Prepared soy sauce is a liquid condiment made mainly from brewed soy sauce, mixed with seasoning liquid, food additives, etc.

Brewed soy sauce is made through microbial fermentation. It has no toxic side effects and has a strong soy sauce and vinegar flavor. However, formulated soy sauce may contain trichloropropane (which has toxic side effects). Although products that meet national standards will not cause harm to the human body and can be eaten safely, it is still recommended that you buy brewed soy sauce.

3 Brewed soy sauce can be divided into

Light soy sauce and dark soy sauce:

Light soy sauce - made from high-quality soybeans and flour, extracted after fermentation. “It has a light color, rich ester and sauce aroma, and delicious taste.

Dark soy sauce is a rich soy sauce made by adding caramel to light soy sauce through a special process. It is suitable for braised pork, stewed foods and cooking dark dishes. It has a rich color and has the aroma of vinegar and sauce.

The biggest difference between light soy sauce and dark soy sauce is that dark soy sauce has a darker color and greater viscosity due to the addition of caramel, while light soy sauce has a lower salt content and a lighter color. If you are cooking Cantonese cuisine or need to keep the original flavor of the dish, you can use light soy sauce; if you want to make dishes with strong flavors or dishes that need coloring, such as braised pork, it is best to use dark soy sauce.

4. Choice of soy sauce:

Standard 1: The most critical standard for measuring the quality of soy sauce is the content of amino acid nitrogen in the soy sauce. The higher the amino acid nitrogen content, the better the quality of the soy sauce and the fresher the taste.

Standard 2: Normal soy sauce is clear reddish brown in color, and good quality soy sauce will be slightly darker in color. However, if the soy sauce is too dark in color, the aroma and taste will be worse; this type of soy sauce is only suitable for braising.

Standard three: Good soy sauce will produce a lot of foam when shaken, which is not easy to disperse, while inferior soy sauce will only produce a small amount of foam when shaken, and it is easy to disperse.

5. Consumption and storage of soy sauce

In addition to salt and water, soy sauce also contains a variety of essential amino acids, sugars, vitamins and various trace elements needed by the human body. High-quality soy sauce is not only a condiment, but also a nutrient that is beneficial to human health. However, the consumption and storage methods of soy sauce must be proper, otherwise it will affect the seasoning function and cause certain harm to the human body.