Homemade Soy Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the 5 ingredients of soy sauce? ›

There are various ways to make soy sauce, but traditionally it's made using five main ingredients: soybeans, wheat, water, salt and yeast. And although there are many types, many of them share the same manufacturing process, which can take months, or in the case of very high-quality artisanal varieties, even years.

Soy sauce is a traditional all-purpose seasoning with a salty taste and sharp flavor. In the conventional method of brewing soy sauce (Figure 1), cooked soybeans and roasted wheat are mixed with spores of Aspergillus species and fermented in solid culture for 2 days to produce koji.

You'll need to give your soy sauce at least 6 months to ferment, although for a deeper flavor, you might want to wait up to a year. Strain the mixture once it's finished fermenting. Once you feel your flavors have developed enough, you should strain your moromi mixture.

The four basic ingredients in soy sauce are soybeans, wheat, salt and fermenting agents like mold or yeast. Regional varieties of soy sauce may have varying amounts of these ingredients, resulting in different colors and flavors. originated in China and is now produced in many Asian countries.

Kikkoman Soy Sauce is made using the traditional Japanese brewing process known as “honjozo”. We call this honjozo method, which makes use of the natural powers of fermentation, “naturally brewed”. Kikkoman Soy Sauce is made from the four basic ingredients of soybeans, wheat, salt and water.

Soy sauce also contains wheat, which some people may be allergic to. People who have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder caused by eating gluten, should avoid soy sauce that has gluten. Most soy sauces contain wheat, but some brands produce gluten-free soy sauces.

Soy sauces made by chemically breaking down raw ingredients have a short manufacturing period, and do not require much time or effort. Contrarily, to produce “honjozo (traditionally brewed) soy sauce” which utilizes the natural power of microorganisms, several months and great effort is required.

There is no single flavor profile for “soy”—and that's why using this term as a stand-in for “soy sauce” is problematic. Fermented soybeans have a distinctly salty, umami taste—it's the basis for soy sauce and a number of other East Asian condiments, including miso paste, gochujang, and black bean garlic sauce.

Is Worcestershire sauce soy sauce? ›

2. Worcestershire Sauce. Another fermented sauce, this British condiment usually contains a blend of malt vinegar, anchovies, spices, sugar, salt, garlic, onions, tamarind extract and molasses. It has the same umami quality as soy sauce, but much less sodium and no soy or gluten.

Unopened soy sauce: Unopened soy sauce can last indefinitely in your pantry. According to Eat By Date, unopened soy sauce, when stored properly in a cool, dark place, can last indefinitely, while opened soy sauce can retain quality for 2-3 years in the refrigerator.

The next time you're using Worcestershire sauce in place of soy sauce, using a 3-to-1 ratio of Worcestershire sauce to water is key. For instance, if your recipe calls for ¼ cup of soy sauce, you would swap in 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon of water.

Tamari. The easiest swap by far is tamari, which is basically soy sauce's gluten-free twin. Tamari has a richer, less salty vibe, but it can stunt-double for soy sauce in equal measure in practically any recipe. Low-sodium tamari is also a better option for those monitoring sodium.

Soy Sauce. Soy sauce has between 1.5% and 2% ABV depending on the producer. The sauce is made from soybeans, wheat, salt, and water, which is then fermented to break down the starch and sugar. This is similar to the process of making beer, and as a result, there are small amounts of alcohol.

The 3 Elements of Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is a kind of seasoning made up of three elements: color, taste, and aroma. Soybeans are the main ingredient. Soybean protein and wheat starch are fermented and aged, and transformed into a variety of taste, color, and aroma compounds.

Traditional soy sauces are made by mixing soybeans and grain with mold cultures such as Aspergillus oryzae and other related microorganisms and yeasts (the resulting mixture is called Koji in Japan; the term koji is used both for the mixture of soybeans, wheat, and mold as well as for the mold itself).

Here is what makes Kikkoman Soy Sauce so special. Kikkoman Soy Sauce is produced from carefully selected ingredients. Its fine aroma is composed of over 300 different components, while its well-balanced mix of the five basic flavors satisfies the palate.

Soy sauce can be kept unopened in the pantry and away from sources of heat. It's safe to be left in the pantry once opened, too, but the flavor may change over time. “If you use soy sauce infrequently, it may be best to refrigerate it to extend its shelf life,” Edwards says.

Does soy sauce get better with age? ›

“Soy sauce will change in color and flavor over time, but is not necessarily dangerous to consume,” Brigman tells me. As it oxidizes, you may notice that it turns darker, and the aroma and flavor becomes stronger, while subtler flavors disappear—this is normal, and safe to consume.

The biggest difference between Chinese and Japanese soy sauce is that Japanese soy sauces are brewed with roasted wheat instead of wheat flour. Japanese soy sauce also uses a bit less salt and the final brew errs on the sweeter side.

Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce is produced in a traditional way with just four pure ingredients: soybeans, wheat, water and salt. Its distinctive characteristics are its transparent, reddish-brown colour and its unmistakable aroma.

A: All soy sauce (all of it!) has glutamates in it naturally due to how it's made (as someone else mentioned), but this sauce has no added MSG. MSG won't hurt you though, it's very similar to salt.

Lee Kum Kee's Less Sodium Soy Sauce offers 40% less sodium, maintaining authentic Chinese flavors. It's a great choice for health-conscious foodies who don't want to compromise on taste, making traditional Chinese dishes more balanced and healthful.