Top 7 Soy Sauces For Chinese Cooking in 2024
Let’s investigate what the Best Soy Sauces for Asian Cooking
Soy sauce isn’t a topic most people dwell on. Because most recipes that call for soy sauce don’t specify a type or brand, individuals will generally pick the first thing that comes to mind, whether it is what is available at the grocery store or the style and brand they grew up within their families. Moreover, Asian cuisine, especially Chinese dishes, requires soy sauce, particularly dark soy sauce. With that, let us dig into which best soy sauce for Chinese or Asian dishes suits you better!
What Best Soy Sauce For Chinese Cooking Or Asian Cooking
Soy sauce is a staple in Asian cooking. Asians believe that black soy sauce gives the savory flavor of the dish and has many health benefits, such as being an excellent source of acid-hydrolyzed soy protein, iron, calcium, zinc, B vitamins, etc. It also contains natural preservatives such as sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and sodium erythorbate. Although there are different soy sauces, each one serves a unique purpose.
1. Kikkoman Soy Sauce
Kikkoman is a well-known brand that has koikuchi in many homes as their regular soy sauce; as a result, it appears to be a standard in many chefs’ kitchens. Kikkoman makes a marudaizu shoyu (the English name simply says it is “organic”), which is not readily available in grocery stores but may be found in specialty markets, including Japanese supermarkets.
It’s a traditional soy sauce made with black soybeans, salt with some water, that’s used in recipes. It can be used in both American cuisine and Asian cuisine because it is versatile. This multipurpose component may be used in marinades, meat basting, dipping sauces, and even stir-fries.
2. Koon Chun Soy Sauces
This company was founded by two brothers who were born in China. They have been making soy sauce since 1892. Their soy sauce is called koon chun and is made from organic Canadian soybeans, rice wine, and salt. It is rich in umami, which means it tastes good. It’s often used in soups and stews.
3. Kishibori Shoyu Soy Sauce
The fact that has no additives, like preservatives makes this sauce particularly appealing. The only components are black soybeans plus wheat, and dried sea salt. There’s also more: the components are aged in oak barrels for a long time. This sauce may be cooked, we believe it is best eaten fresh.
4. Thailand Lite Soy Sauce
Thailand Lite is a top local soy sauce for Thai cooking. Thai black soy sauce is light in color and mild in taste. It is made with organic soybeans, rice wine vinegar, simple sugars, and salt. It’s a great choice if you want something that doesn’t overpower your food.
It is also free of MSG plus also vegan and even is kosher with lower salt content. It makes a wonderful marinade. The squeeze bottles prevents oxidation for an extended time, preserving their flavor and having a saltier taste. The taste is deemed to be lessened for Asian cuisine, although it also is used in western cooking.
5. Kimlan Soy Sauce
Kimlan is another popular brand that is made with organic soybeans, rice wine, and sea salt. Its main ingredient is soybean paste, which is fermented for about six months. It’s a very thick and hearty soy sauce that’s perfect for use in soups or stews.
Kimlan soy sauces are produced naturally in Taiwan and contain only four ingredients: water, salt, maltose, and glucose. They are less salty than Chinese soy sauce and Japanese soy sauce.
6. Silver Swan Soy Sauce
Silver Swan Soy Sauce is the number one dark soy sauce sold in the Philippines. It is used to cook quality Asian cuisine, including Indonesian dishes and Chinese dishes. Silver Swan Soy Sauce is made from high-quality soybeans that are carefully blended to perfection, ensuring that each dish has a delicious flavor.
7. Wan Ja Shan Soy Sauce
Wan Ja Shan Soy Sauce Co. has been producing ready or pre-brewed set soy sauce both in Taiwan and the Amercia since its founding in 1945. Soy sauce from the village of Wan Ja Shan is made with simple ingredients including simple sugars and alcohol as preservatives. They are sweeter than Chinese and Japanese soy sauces. This sweet soy sauce is an heirloom dish of organic local ingredients that’s been carefully combined to give it a rich, distinctive flavor with an umami taste. Ideal for marinades, dipping sauces, glazes, stews, soups, and other dishes.
What is the Ultimate Difference Between Chinese Soy Sauce and Western Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment that can enhance the flavor of any meal. If you’re looking for a new way to add some zest to your food, then you need to know what the difference between dark soy sauce and light soy sauce is.
Western soy sauce is a thinner, golden brown liquid. This lighter counterpart sauce has strong, pungent umami and savory flavor due to the natural fermentation process, making it wonderful for marinades, dressings, sauces, and table condiments. In addition, it is a fantastic ingredient to stir-fries, noodles dishes, and even your own burger recipe! In other words, this can work as the all-purpose soy sauce for your cooking.
Chinese light soy sauce in Cantonese cuisine is prepared from the first pressing of fermented soybeans, which is generally more expensive than dark soy sauce. Moreover, it is made from fermented soybeans (rather than wheat) is also known as “fresh” soy sauce, although it may also be labeled “pure bean” or “thin.” This type of black soy sauce is by far the most widely used cooking sauce in Cantonese cuisine.
Meanwhile, dark soy sauce has a thicker texture and more distinct artificial colors owing to the inclusion of caramel. It’s commonly used to add color to foods and is usually used with light soy sauce to get the right color and deeper flavor balance. Dark soy sauce makes a fantastic addition to Chinese cooking, such as pork dishes, stews, and barbecue classics.
Chinese Soy sauce vs Japanese Soy Sauce
Soy sauce from China is a darker soy sauce and less salty than Japanese dark soy sauce. Chinese dark soy sauce, unlike Japanese dark soy sauce, has a somewhat gel-like texture and typically has a sweeter flavor profile because of palm sugar or molasses. There are currently no decent alternatives for the ingredient liquid soy sauce because it is only utilized to cook. It’s commonly used at the last stages of the cooking process to season and add color to sauces.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Store Soy Sauce?
Soy sauce, like olive oil, is a fresh product that deteriorates in quality after it’s opened and begins to oxidize. Soy sauces should not be used sparingly, and you should resist the urge to treat them as precious goods, especially if they are more expensive—you paid for them, you might as well use them while they’re at their best. On the other hand, Soy sauces keep for a long time since they have a saltier taste and don’t tend to spoil. They won’t be as good if stored incorrectly; instead, they will not taste very well.
Which Soy Sauce Is Best for Stir-Fried Dishes?
Light soy sauce is the best option for stir-fried dishes because of its savory flavor and stronger aromatic taste. As mentioned above, it can also be used for your Chinese noodle, dipping sauces, etc.
What Is the Difference Between Japanese Soy Sauce and South-East Asian Soy Sauce?
Soy sauces are manufactured differently in China and Japan and Asia.
This gives Japanese sauces are slightly sweeter, more subtle, or nuanced flavor than their Chinese variants. The Chinese sauces are typically saltier and taste more assertive. In South-East Asia there are both varieties.
The predominant soy used in Chinese-style soy sauce is 100 percent, whereas Japanese-style soy sauce is prepared with a combination of soy and wheat (usually 50/50). In other Asian countries, there is a blend of both manufacturing processes depending on the market they are serving. This is because there is often a large portion of a southeast Asian population that are Chinese or of strong Chinese descent for example.