Soy sauce is one of those Chinese food cooking essentials that give so much savory and umami flavor to your favorite Chinese food dishes that they just wouldn’t be the same without it. But for all its ubiquity and versatility, soy sauce is a more complex and historical condiment that has many unique variations and uses.
The more you know about the nuances between soy sauce flavors and how each one can be used, the easier it will be to achieve those amazing Chinese food flavors at home. When you’re ready to begin tackling all of your favorite dishes from Chinese cuisine in your own kitchen, let Fly By Jing help you every step of the way, with all the best ingredients and recipes you’re sure to love.
What Is Soy Sauce?
Soy sauce embraces a little of all the best flavors in Chinese cooking, and that’s one of the reasons it’s such an essential part of so many Chinese food dishes. You’ll find sweet, savory, umami, and even a touch of bitter flavoring, and it all blends well with many other spices and oils in Chinese dishes.
It is made from fermenting soybeans over the course of months or even years. Surprisingly, soy sauce is made with grains, usually wheat. If you or someone you’re cooking for has a gluten intolerance, you’ll want to do your research before using soy sauce in your dish.
While soy sauce is used in nearly every Chinese food recipe and doubles as a delicious sauce for dipping your dumplings or even your sushi, there are more options for which soy sauce you’ll want to turn to than what’s on the surface. It has also evolved and changed with travel, immigration, and mass production, so it’s a good idea to look at what soy sauces are at your disposal and see which one the dish specifically calls for.
History of Soy Sauce
The history of soy sauce is unique and exciting. Like many great Chinese flavors, it dates back thousands of years and bears a strong similarity to the original version from generations past. There were a few predecessors to soy sauce in the form of soy pastes.
One of its original uses was a way to make salt, an expensive ingredient, last much longer, which it did in the form of a sauce, rather than a solid. One of the original versions was as an addition to fermented fish condiments, but over time the soybeans came to stand on their own, and soy sauce and fish sauce began to evolve into their own unique products.
Around Asia, soy sauce has evolved from the Chinese sauce and become an essential part of many different Asian cuisines. It was first recorded having arrived in Europe in the 1700s, and American production began in the early 1900s.
Different Types of Soy Sauce
Most dishes won’t specify which soy sauce is best for the dishes, which is why you’ll want to use a light soy sauce if no other kind is called for. The truth is, there are many different variations of soy sauce flavors, and each one can add its own unique flavor to the dish, drizzle, or dipping sauce.
Here’s what you’ll want to know about the different types of soy sauce and what they’re best cooked in.
Light Soy Sauce
As the name would indicate, light soy sauce is a lighter version of the sauce. It’s also thinner in viscosity, though higher in sodium, so don’t let the term “light” fool you. While some brands are now referring to their low-sodium versions of soy sauce as “light” or even “lite,” the actual light soy sauce that is most often used in Chinese cooking is lighter in color, not sodium content.
Light soy sauce is great for stir fry dishes, meat marinades, or even soups. You can also use it as a dipping sauce for dishes like dumplings.
Dark Soy Sauce
In addition to the distinctively darker color, dark soy sauce also has a sweeter, richer flavor, which comes from its longer aging period. It is also sometimes mixed with molasses or sugar to achieve that rich taste. You may find that some dishes call for both light and dark soy sauce, and that’s because dark soy sauce can be overpowering if you use too much. Because of that, dark soy sauce is better used as a cooking ingredient than a dipping ingredient.
Mushroom-Flavored Soy Sauce
Mushroom-flavor soy sauce gets its name and specific flavoring from dried straw mushrooms or dried Chinese black mushrooms. You can use it in place of dark soy sauce if you don’t have any because it also has a rich and earthly taste and plenty of that delicious umami flavor. You can also use it as a dipping sauce, but a little goes a long way.
Shrimp Soy Sauce
Shrimp soy sauce is relatively uncommon and is mainly produced in a few regions of China. But if you’re looking to make a great seafood dish or add seafood flavoring to your favorite meals, shrimp soy sauce can help. It balances sweet dishes or flavors, but it can be challenging to come by. If you find it, stock up!
Thick Soy Sauce
Thick soy sauce is much richer and—as the name says—thicker in consistency and flavor. It is also called soy jam and gets both the sweetened flavor and thicker consistency from added sugars, added wheat, and sometimes thickening agents. A little bit of this soy sauce goes a long way, but it’s sure to add unique and sweet flavors to a lot of great dishes like stir-fries and dips. In Taiwanese cuisine, it can be used for recipes like braised pork rice.
Sweet Soy Sauce
Sweet soy sauce is Indonesian in origin and has a sort of a syrupy consistency from the added palm sugar. It is also darker in color and has a molasses-based flavor. Other spices are sometimes added to sweet soy sauce, like star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. It is incredibly popular in Indonesia and is used in most Indonesian dishes that call for soy sauce as an ingredient.
Our Favorite Soy Sauce-Based Dishes
There are so many delicious dishes that you can make with a splash of soy sauce and other Chinese flavors like ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Spicy Sichuan Noodles
Spicy Sichuan noodles combine hot flavoring from Sichuan chili crisp with the sweet and salty tastes of peanut butter, sesame oil, and—of course! —soy sauce. This dish takes just a few minutes to put together, and you likely already have most of the ingredients at home. It’s sure to be an instant hit!
Dan Dan Noodles
Dan dan noodles employ leafy greens and the bold flavoring of chili oil to create a dish that has a rich history in Chinese travel and culture. The name comes from the poles that dan dan noodles were once served in as part of populated travel routes. Dan dan noodles are made up of pork, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder, and dark soy sauce.
Douban Fish
Douban fish is a dish that uses the strong flavor of doubanjiang, a fermented bean paste, as well as ginger, stock, vinegar, and garlic. You’ll use a light soy sauce for this dish and mix it over heat with the stock and sugar, after ginger, garlic, and scallions have been added. It will help to make the other flavors fragrant and bold. All these great ingredients lead to a delicious bass or flounder main dish for all of your favorite celebrations.
Conclusion
Soy sauce is at the heart and soul of many of your favorite Chinese food dishes. It can help with the best stir-fries, give flavor to noodles, and serve as the perfect condiment for dipping your dumplings. Whether you’re using your soy sauce in winter-warming soups or as a thick and sweet drizzle for your fish, there’s a great soy sauce option to fit your cooking and eating needs and preferences.
Make Fly By Jing the resource you turn to for both delicious flavors, spices, and oils and the recipes and histories that highlight just how special those dishes are. Check out our growing collection of food culture and ingredients and begin testing out exciting soy sauce dishes with a little newfound soy sauce knowledge today!
Sources:
What Is Soy Sauce and How Is It Made? | The Spruce Eats
