Soy sauce

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Soy sauce
Soy sauce with wasabi.jpg
A bowl of soy sauce with wasabi paste on the side
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese 1. 酱油
2. 豆油
3. 豉油
Traditional Chinese 1. 醬油
2. 荳油
3. 豉油
Burmese name
Burmese ပဲငံပြာရည်
IPA [pɛ́ ŋàɴ bjà jè]
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese xì dầu or nước tương
Thai name
Thai ซีอิ๊ว (RTGS: si-io)
Korean name
Hangul 간장
Japanese name
Kanji 醤油
Hiragana しょうゆ
Filipino name
Tagalog toyo

Soy sauce (also called soya sauce)[1][2] is a condiment made from a fermented paste of boiled soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds.[3] After fermentation, the paste is pressed, producing a liquid, which is the soy sauce, and a solid byproduct, which is often used as animal feed.[4] Soy sauce is a traditional ingredient in East and Southeast Asian cuisines, where it is used in cooking and as a condiment. It originated in China in the 2nd century BCE and spread throughout Asia. Today, it is used in Western cuisine and prepared foods.

Soy sauce has a distinct yet basic taste of umami, due to naturally occurring free glutamates.

Most varieties of soy sauce are salty, earthy, brownish liquids intended to season food while cooking or at the table.[5] Many kinds of soy sauce are made in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Burma and other countries. Variation is usually achieved as the result of different methods and durations of fermentation, different ratios of water, salt, and fermented soy, or through the addition of other ingredients.


Soy sauce originated in China sometime between the 3rd and 5th century from an older meat-based fermented sauce named jiang (). Its use later spread to East and Southeast Asia.[6] Like many salty condiments, soy sauce was probably originally a way to stretch salt, historically an expensive commodity. In ancient China, fermented fish with salt was used as a condiment in which soybeans were included during the fermentation process. Eventually, this was replaced and the recipe for soy sauce, jiangyou (), using soybeans as principal ingredient, with fermented fish-based sauces developing separately into fish sauce.[7]

Records of the Dutch East India Company list soy sauce as a commodity in 1737, when seventy-five large barrels were shipped from Dejima, Japan, to Batavia (present-day Jakarta) on the island of Java. Thirty-five barrels from that shipment were then shipped to the Netherlands.[8] In the 18th century, diplomat and scholar Isaac Titsingh published accounts of brewing soy sauce. Although earlier descriptions of soy sauce had been disseminated in the West, his was among the earliest to focus specifically on the brewing of the Japanese version.[9] By the mid-19th century, Japanese soy sauce gradually disappeared from the European market, and the condiment became synonymous with the Chinese product.[10] Europeans were unable to make soy sauce because they did not understand the function of Aspergillus oryzae, the fungus used in its brewing.[10]



Soy sauce is made from soybeans




Traditional soy sauces take months to make:

      • A. oryzae: Strains with high proteolytic capacity are used for brewing soy sauce.[13]
      • A. sojae: This fungus also has a high proteolytic capacity.
      • A. tamari: This fungus is used for brewing tamari, a variety of soy sauce.
    • Other microbes contained in the culture:
      • Bacillus spp. (genus): This organism is likely to grow soy sauce ingredients, bring to generate odors and ammonia.
Soy and wheat with Aspergillus sojae cultures to brew soy sauce

Acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein[edit]

Some brands of soy sauce are made from acid-hydrolyzed soy protein instead of brewed with a traditional culture. This takes about three days.[14] Although they have a different flavor, aroma, and texture when compared to brewed soy sauces, they have a longer shelf-life and are usually made for this reason. The clear plastic packets of dark sauce common with Chinese-style take out food typically use a hydrolyzed vegetable protein formula. Some higher-quality hydrolyzed vegetable protein products with no added salt, sugar or colorings are sold as low-sodium soy sauce alternatives called "liquid aminos" in health food stores, similar to the way salt substitutes are used. These products are, however, not necessarily low in sodium.




Chinese soy sauces (Mandarin Chinese: jiàng yóu/Cantonese: jeong yau (simplified Chinese: 酱油; traditional Chinese: ) or chǐ yóu/si yau (豉油)), are primarily made from soybeans, with relatively low amounts of other grains. Chinese soy sauce can be roughly split into two classes:brewed or blended.



  • 'Light or fresh soy sauce ( shēng chōu or jiàng qīng): is a thin (low viscosity), opaque, lighter brown soy sauce, brewed by first culturing steamed wheat and soybeans with Aspergillus, and then letting the mixture ferment in brine. It is the main soy sauce used for seasoning, since it is saltier, has less noticeable color, and also adds a distinct flavor.[citation needed]
    • Tóu chōu' (): The light soy sauce made from the first pressing of the soybeans, this can be loosely translated as 'first soy sauce' or referred to as premium light soy sauce. Tóu chōu is sold at a premium because, like extra virgin olive oil, the flavor of the first pressing is considered superior. Due to its delicate flavor it is used primarily for seasoning light dishes and for dipping.



  • Dark and old soy sauce ( lǎo chōu), a darker and slightly thicker soy sauce made from light soy sauce. This soy sauce is made through prolonged aging and may contain added caramel color and/or molasses to give it its distinctive appearance. This variety is mainly used during cooking, since its flavor develops during heating. It has a richer, slightly sweeter, and less salty flavor than light soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is partly used to add color and flavor to a dish after cooking, but, as stated above, is more often used during the cooking process, rather than after.
    • Mushroom dark soy ( cǎogū lǎochōu): In the finishing and aging process of making dark soy sauce, the broth of Volvariella volvacea is mixed into the soy sauce and is then exposed to the sun to make this type of dark soy. The added broth gives this soy sauce a richer flavor than plain dark soy sauce.[citation needed]


Japanese supermarket soy sauce corner

Buddhist monks from China introduced soy sauce into Japan in the 7th century,[16] where it is known as shōyu (醤油 shōyu?).[17][18]


Some soy sauces made in the Japanese way or styled after them contain about fifty percent wheat.



Newer varieties of Japanese soy sauce include:[19]

  • Gen'en (?, "reduced salt"): This version contains 50% less salt than regular shōyu for consumers concerned about heart disease.
  • Usujio (?, "light salt"): This version contains 20% less salt than regular shōyu.


  • Honjōzō (本醸造?, "genuine fermented"): Contains 100% genuine fermented product
  • Kongō-jōzō (混合醸造?, "mixed fermented"): Contains genuine fermented shōyu mash mixed with 30–50% of chemical or enzymatic hydrolysate of plant protein
  • Kongō (混合?, "mixed"): Contains Honjōzō or Kongō-jōzō shōyu mixed with 30–50% of chemical or enzymatic hydrolysate of plant protein

All the varieties and grades may be sold according to three official levels of quality:[20]

  • Hyōjun (標準?): Standard grade, contains more than 1.2% total nitrogen
  • Jōkyū (上級 ?): Upper grade, contains more than 1.35% of total nitrogen
  • Tokkyū (特級?): Special grade, contains more than 1.5% of total nitrogen



Kecap manis (left), Indonesian thick and sweet soy sauce is nearly as thick as molasses and kecap asin (right)

In Indonesia, soy sauce is known as kecap (also ketjap), which is a catch-all term for fermented sauces, and cognate to the English word "ketchup".[21] The term kecap is also used to describe other non soy-based sauces, such as kecap ikan (fish sauce) and kecap inggris (worcestershire sauce). Three common varieties of Indonesian soy-based kecap exist:

  • Kecap asin : Salty soy sauce, which is very similar to Chinese light soy sauce, but usually somewhat thicker and has a stronger flavor; it can be replaced by light Chinese soy sauce in some recipes. Salty soy sauce was first introduced into Indonesia by Hokkien people so its taste resembles that of Chinese soy sauce. Hakka soy sauce made from black beans is very salty and large productions are mainly made in Bangka Belitung Islands.
  • Kecap manis : Sweet soy sauce, which has a thick, almost syrupy consistency and a unique, pronounced, sweet somewhat treacle-like flavor due to generous addition of palm sugar. In cooking, it could be replaced by molasses with a little vegetable stock stirred in. However this is different from the smooth and mild sweetness of palm sugar and the strong flavor of fermented soy, as molasses can tend to have bitter flavors.



Traditional Korean soy sauce

Korean soy sauce, (called Joseon ganjang, 조선간장, in Korean) is a byproduct of the production of doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste), so bacillus subtilis is used for fermentation. It is mainly used in making soups, seasoning, and dip sauce. Joseon ganjang, thin and dark brown in color, is made entirely of soy and brine, and has a saltiness that varies according to the maker. Wide scale use of Joseon ganjang has been somewhat superseded by cheaper factory-made Japanese style soy sauce, called waeganjang (hangul: 왜간장/倭간醬). According to the 2001 national food consumption survey in Korea, traditional fermented ganjang comprised only 1.4% of soy sauce purchases.[22]

Burmese or Myanmar[edit]

Burmese soy sauce production is dated back to the Bagan era in the 9th and 10th century. Scripts written in praise of pe ngan byar yay (ပဲငံပြာရည်, literally "bean fish sauce") were found.[citation needed] Production increased during the Konbaung dynasty, circa 1700, when there was bolstered migration of ethnic groups from the north to boost and modify the production of silk in Amarapura.[citation needed] Thick soy sauce is called kya nyo (ကြာညို့, from Chinese jiangyou 醬油).


A soy sauce based product popular in the Philippines is called toyo, usually found alongside other sauces such as fish sauce (patis) and sugar cane vinegar (sukâ). The flavor of Philippine soy sauce is a combination of soybeans, wheat, salt, and caramel color. It is thinner in texture and has a saltier taste than its Southeast Asian counterparts, similar to Japanese shōyu. It is used as a marinade, an ingredient in cooked dishes, and a table condiment. It is usually mixed and served with calamansi, a small Asian, lime-like citrus fruit. The combination is known as toyomansi which can be comparable to the Japanese ponzu sauce (soy sauce with yuzu). It is also a main ingredient in adobo, one of the more famous dishes of Filipino cuisine.


Soy sauce (aloha shoyu) is a very popular condiment and marinade for many Hawaiian food dishes in the cuisine of Hawaii.

Singapore and Malaysian[edit]

In Mandarin Chinese spoken in Malaysia and Singapore, soy sauce in general is referred to as dòuyóu (豆油), a Mandarin transliteration of the Hokkien term for the sauce or jiàngyóu (醬油); light soy sauce is jiàngqīng (醬清). Angmo daoiu (紅毛豆油, lit. "foreigners' soy sauce") is the Hokkien name for Worcestershire sauce.



The history of soy sauce making in Taiwan can be traced back to southeastern China, in the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong. Taiwanese soy sauce is known for its black bean variant, known as black bean soy sauce (黑豆蔭油), which takes longer to make (about 6 months). Most major soy sauce makers in Taiwan make soy sauce made from soybeans and wheat. Some make black bean soy sauce.[23]



A bottle of commercially made light soy sauce


The most common type of soy sauce found in Brazil is the Japanese type (shōyu), due to influence of Japanese immigration. There are some differences between the shōyu sold in the Brazilian market and that found in the Japanese market. For example, Sakura, the market-leading Brazilian brand for soy sauce, features a 35% less salt variety (instead of the Japanese standards 20% and 50%) and all of its soy sauce is gluten free (it uses maize instead of wheat in the fermentation process).


A study by the National University of Singapore showed that Chinese dark soy sauce contains 10 times the antioxidants of red wine, and can help prevent cardiovascular diseases.[24] Soy sauce is rich in lactic acid bacteria and of excellent anti-allergic potential.[25][26]

Soy sauce does not contain the level of isoflavones associated with other soy products such as tofu or edamame.[27] It can also be very salty, having a salt content of between 14–18%. Low-sodium soy sauces are made, but it is difficult to make soy sauce without using some quantity of salt as an antimicrobial agent.[28]

100ml of soy sauce contains the following nutritional information according to the USDA:

  • Calories : 60
  • Fat: 0.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.57 g
  • Fibers: 0.8 g
  • Protein: 10.51 g
  • Sodium: 6 g


Soy sauce may contain ethyl carbamate, a Group 2A carcinogen.[29]

In 2001 the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency found in testing various soy sauces manufactured in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand (made from hydrolyzed soy protein, rather than being naturally fermented) that 22% of tested samples, contained a chemical carcinogen named 3-MCPD (3-monochloropropane-1,3-diol) at levels considerably higher than those deemed safe by the EU. About two-thirds of these samples also contained a second carcinogenic chemical named 1,3-DCP (1,3-dichloropropane-2-ol) which experts advise should not be present at any levels in food. Both chemicals have the potential to cause cancer and the Agency recommended that the affected products be withdrawn from shelves and avoided. 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP.[30][31][32][33] The same carcinogens were found in soy sauces manufactured in Vietnam, causing a food scare in 2007.[34][35]



Further information: Soy allergy

Most varieties of soy sauce contain wheat, to which some people have a medical intolerance.[37] However, some naturally brewed soy sauces made with wheat may be tolerated by people with a specific intolerance to gluten because gluten is not detectable in the finished product.[38] Japanese tamari soy sauce is traditionally wheat-free, and some tamari available commercially today is wheat- and gluten-free.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ " sauce (or soya sauce) forms a basic ingredient in Japanese, Chinese and other Asian cooking."
  2. ^ "For the marinade; 1 tbsp soya sauce"
  3. ^ 'Microbiology Laboratory Theory and Application.' Michael Leboffe and Burton Pierce, 2nd edition. pp.317
  4. ^ Common soy sauce preparation
  5. ^ Shurtleff, W.; Aoyagi, A. "History of Soy Sauce (160 CE to 2012)." Lafayette, California: Soyinfo Center. 2,523 p. (8,554 references. 228 photographs and illustrations. Free online).
  6. ^ Tanaka, Norio. "Shōyu: The Flavor of Japan," The Japan Foundation Newsletter Vol. XXVII, No. 2 (January 2000), p. 2.
  8. ^ Tanaka, p. 6.
  10. ^ a b Tanaka, p. 7.
  12. ^ Muro
  14. ^ "Korean Restaurant Guide article on soy sauce". Retrieved 16 July 2010. 
  15. ^ jzqu20519. "咱へ故鄉 丸莊醬油" 
  17. ^ "Shoyu". 
  18. ^ "shoyu". Merriam-webster's Online Dictionary. 
  19. ^ Steinkraus, Keith H., ed. (2004). Industrialization of indigenous fermented foods (Second ed.). Marcel Dekker. p. 22. ISBN 0-8247-4784-4. 
  20. ^ Wood, Brian J. B., ed. (1998). Microbiology of fermented foods 1 (Second ed.). Blackie academic & professional. p. 364. ISBN 0-7514-0216-8. 
  21. ^ See discussion and references at Wiktionary: ketchup.
  22. ^ Jung, Soon Teck and Kang, Seong-Gook (2002). "The Past and Present of Traditional Fermented Foods in Korea". Retrieved 7 January 2008. 
  23. ^ Chung, Oscar (1 January 2010). "A Sauce for All". Taiwan Review (Government Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan)). Retrieved 14 November 2010. 
  25. ^ Tanasupawat, Somboon et al. (18 June 2002). "Lactic acid bacteria isolated from soy sauce mash in Thailand". Journal of General and Applied Microbiology (The Microbiology Research Foundation) 48 (4): 201–209. doi:10.2323/jgam.48.201. PMID 12469319. 
  26. ^ Kobayashi, Makio (18 April 2005). "Immunological Functions of Soy Sauce: Hypoallergenicity and Antiallergic Activity of Soy Sauce". Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering (Society for Biotechnology, Japan) 1 (2): 144–151. doi:10.1263/jbb.100.144. PMID 16198255. 
  27. ^ Shahidi, Fereidoon; Naczk, Marian (2003). Phenolics in food and nutraceuticals, Edition 2. Florence, Kentucky: CRC Press. p. 103. ISBN 1-58716-138-9. 
  28. ^ Hutkins, Robert Wayne (2006). Microbiology and technology of fermented foods. Blackwell publishing. ISBN 0-8138-0018-8. 
  29. ^ Matsudo T, T Aoki, K Abe, N Fukuta, T Higuchi, M Sasaki & K Uchida (1993). "Determination of ethyl carbamate in soy sauce and its possible precursor". J Agric Food Chem 41 (3): 352–356. doi:10.1021/jf00027a003. 
  31. ^ by Junelyn S. de la Rosa (4 April 2010). "barchronicle (Philippine government)". Retrieved 16 July 2010. 
  33. ^ UK UK Food Standards Agency: Soy advice leaflet.
  34. ^ VIETNAMNET, Ha Noi, Viet nam. "Soya sauce stirs worry and discontentment among public". Retrieved 16 July 2010. [dead link]
  35. ^ (AFP) (11 September 2007). "Toxic soy sauce, chemical veggies — food scares hit Vietnam". Google. Retrieved 16 July 2010. 
  37. ^
  38. ^ "Does soy sauce contain gluten?". Retrieved 16 July 2010. 


Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

  • Media related to Soy sauce at Wikimedia Commons