12 types of soy sauce from 4 different Asian countries

Soy sauce is one of our favorite flavorings in the kitchen cabinet. If we could, we’d guzzle the umami sauce (well, because that’s really not a good idea). Clearly, we’re big fans. Time to take a closer look at it. Did you know, for example, that there are different types? You might not realize it from the rather limited selection in Dutch supermarkets, but Asian supermarkets have entire aisles filled with all kinds of soy sauce.

Those different soy sauces all have their own names in various Asian countries. In Mandarin it’s called Jiangyou, in Japanese Shoyu, in Korean Ganjang and in Indonesian Kecap Manis. All these countries also have their own variations of soy sauce. They can be thicker or thinner, sweeter or saltier, and lighter or darker. But they do have one thing in common: basically, they’re all made from soybeans. Want to know what types there are in China, Japan, Korea and Indonesia? Below you’ll find an overview by country.

Japan: Shoyu

Japan produces some truly very high-quality soy sauce. Soy sauce production is somewhat comparable to winemaking. Some varieties are aged in a barrel for years and can be sold for enormous prices. Paying 150 dollars for a bottle of soy sauce isn’t unusual there.

Koikuchi

Koikuchi is a dark soy sauce made from wheat and soybeans. This variety is used most often in Japanese cuisine. It’s therefore also the type of soy sauce you’ll most commonly find in Japanese kitchen cabinets.

Usukuchi

Usukuchi is a light soy sauce. Compared with Koikuchi, this soy sauce is saltier and, to be honest, also less flavorful. Usukuchi is, however, an excellent base for broths and stews.

Tamari

Technically speaking, Tamari isn’t soy sauce. No wheat is used during the fermentation process of the soybeans—something that does happen when making soy sauce. Tamari is therefore a perfect substitute for soy sauce for people with a gluten allergy! The rich, thick sauce tastes great with raw fish, and you can also use it very well as a base for teriyaki.

Saishikomi

Saishikomi is a soy sauce with a fairly sweet flavor. Most Japanese people use this variety for dipping their sushi and sashimi.

Shiro Shoyu

Shiro Shoyu is very light in color, sometimes almost white. This sauce is used least often in Japanese cuisine. It’s more of a finishing touch for certain dishes.

Korea: Ganjan

There are 4 basic types of soy sauce in Korea. Every soy sauce has a T.N. number, which indicates the quality of the product. 1.0 is the lowest score, while 1.7 is the highest. So if you have a soy sauce with a score of 1.7, you have the very best quality.

Yangjio Ganjang

Yangjio Ganjang is the most expensive Korean type of soy sauce. One reason is that the process of making this soy sauce takes a very long time. The sauce needs no less than 6 months to ferment!

Hansik Ganjang

Hansik Ganjang consists of soybeans, water and salt. That’s it. It’s therefore a fairly simple (and salty) type of soy sauce, mainly used as a flavoring in soups.

Sanbunhae Ganjang

Sanbunhae Ganjang is a fairly chemical concoction, especially compared with the other soy sauces on this list. That’s because it’s made from soybeans cooked in hydrochloric acid. It may not sound appealing, but it tastes great.

Jin Ganjang

Jin Ganjang is simply a mix of Yangjio Ganjang and Sanbunhae Ganjang. The more Yangjio Ganjang this soy sauce variety contains, the higher the price.

China: Jianyou

Chinese cuisine uses 2 types of soy sauce: the light variety and the dark variety.

Light soy sauce

Light Chinese soy sauce is a very thin substance. It tastes quite salty, especially compared with the thicker soy sauce variety. Chinese people use this type in all kinds of ways, both while cooking and for dipping. Dumplings, for example.

Dark soy sauce

Dark Chinese soy sauce is quite thick. In general, this sauce is much sweeter than light soy sauce. Some people think it resembles kecap manis a little. If you pour this sauce over your dish, it will become considerably darker in color.

Indonesia: Kecap Manis

We know Kecap Manis (or ketjap manis)—it’s also found on the shelves of our supermarkets. It contains a lot of palm sugar and is therefore very sweet. The consistency is quite thick, almost syrupy. Kecap Manis gives meat a slightly caramel-like flavor and is the ingredient for seasoning nasi goreng.

Enjoying soy sauce

Ready to get cooking with soy sauce? Good call, because it’s simply delicious. We’re absolutely crazy about this recipe for sticky pork belly, for example, which uses both light and dark soy sauce. Another winner: karaage fried chicken with a soy sauce marinade. Finger-licking good. And did you know that you can also use soy sauce very well in sweet desserts? Try adding some soy sauce to your brownies, for example. You won’t believe your taste buds. Thank us later.

Read also:

• For all sushi lovers: here’s what that second hole in the soy sauce bottle is for
• Whaaat?! Oh, so that’s what that soy sauce fish is for with your sushi!
• Divinely brilliant: ketjapkibbeling

Source: The Kitchn