What is the best soy sauce? How to choose the “right” soy sauce? How to choose a good soy sauce

Until relatively recently, the only available seasonings for dishes were salt and pepper. Today the abundance of options is simply amazing. And soy sauce is becoming increasingly popular. This is one of the most important products of Asian cuisine, which allows you to place accents and highlight the merits of the dish. The product is obtained through fermentation, and the base is soybeans. For this purpose, special fungi are used. It looks like a dark liquid with a pungent odor. When you buy it for the first time, you may be somewhat discouraged by the taste of the product. However, this is only until you get to know the sauce better.

From time immemorial

It is truly the king of Japanese cuisine, where it is used everywhere. Thanks to him, almost any appetizer acquires a special piquancy and sophistication. You can make any sauces based on it. Add your favorite spices and get new tastes every time. All housewives note how different the taste of the finished product is if you add just a little sauce. It is also an excellent base for marinating meat, vegetables and seafood.

Main advantages

This is an ideal product that allows you to make a dish spicy, tasty and healthy at the same time. All nutritionists unanimously recommend it. Just one spoon of this amazing sauce replaces salt and many other seasonings at the same time. In addition, it does not contain cholesterol, and the calorie content is only 55 kcal per 100 g. But there is one difficulty, how to choose the highest quality, tasty and healthy product. Today we want to talk about which soy sauce is the best.

Industrial production

In fact, the technology is very simple, and therefore there are many manufacturers who want to make money by producing soy sauce. Initially it was done like this. The soybeans were evaporated, roasted wheat and salt were added to it, after which the mixture was distributed into bags or vessels and left in the sun to allow the natural fermentation process to occur. As you understand, such production took a lot of time.

Today, market demands are increasing every day, and the manufacturer must keep up with them in order to remain in demand. Therefore, they will come up with ways to speed up the process. To do this, bacteria were added to the mixture of wheat and soybeans, making it possible to prepare the fermentation product within a month.

Modern production

However, speaking about which soy sauce is the best, it should be noted that there are manufacturers for whom there is no other truth than profit. Therefore, they actively use the achievements of the chemical industry. And this is done very simply. In the first case, soy concentrate is diluted with water, supplemented with dyes and flavors, and the finished product is poured into bottles. In the second case, soybeans are boiled with hydrochloric acid. During the cooking process, harmful alkalis are formed that cannot be removed from the finished product.

How to keep your family safe

If you love Japanese cuisine, then you should definitely know which soy sauce is the best. With the abundance of offers on the market today, it’s easy to get confused, so always adhere to the following rules:

Main types

Judging by the assortment in stores, it may seem that there are dozens of them. Sweet and salty, spicy, with herbs and honey, with meat and vegetables. There are actually only three types, and it's up to you to find out which soy sauce is the best. We will now make life easier for the buyer by talking about these types.

• The most popular is koi-kuti. It has a rich dark color and is perfect for meat sauces and thick gravies. Therefore, if you are wondering which soy sauce is best for meat, then choose this variety. It has a high salt content, but it has an excellent, bright and expressive taste and the darkest color.
• Tamarin is an ideal choice for those who are on a low-salt diet but love the taste of soy sauce. When choosing which soy sauce was the best, control purchase tested many samples and customer reviews. As a result, this particular type was recognized as the best for its high concentration of soybeans and minimal salt content.
• Usu-kuti. If you do not want the dish to change its color, then it is best to choose this variety. It is lighter, with less pronounced taste properties, but nevertheless ideal if you need to emphasize the delicate taste of fish or seafood. Therefore, if you are looking for which soy sauce is the best for sushi, then pay attention to this mark on the package.

Soy sauce from Maxchup

This product is produced in Thailand. In our ranking it takes fifth place, since its popularity among consumers is quite high. The assortment is simply incredible: for shish kebab, barbecue, roast, Mexican, salads and marinades and many others. All sauces are packaged in 200 ml glass bottles. The price is quite affordable, about 400 rubles per bottle. But the composition is simply scary. Flavor enhancers, which can cause intestinal disorders, coexist with stabilizers and preservatives, among which there are active allergens. There is also no data about the naturalness of flavoring additives; most likely, the taste of garlic, mushrooms and other dishes is the result of chemical reactions.

Trademark UMI

This product is produced in Vietnam, but it is not much different from the traditional Japanese one. Two varieties of this brand are very popular on the market: mushroom and classic. Contains sugar, salt, water, soybean extract. Mushrooms are characterized by appropriate additives. No dyes, preservatives or stabilizers. Consumers emphasize the familiar, salty taste, normal consistency, as well as a very affordable price. In our rating it takes fourth place, since it has quite acceptable quality, but does not fully correspond to the original recipe. You don’t have to look any further for a good and inexpensive soy sauce; feel free to buy products from this brand.

"Blue Dragon"

Country of origin: Great Britain. A very interesting and high-quality product, but it did not gain much popularity in Russia. You can only find this sauce in large shopping centers. No chemical additives, stabilizers or other chemical “delights” were found in the composition. The only thing in which it differs from the original is the acidity regulator. When choosing which soy sauce is best for salad, pay attention to the products of this brand. Today there are both dark and light Blue Dragon. That is, the manufacturer is trying to meet the true Japanese taste standard.

Heinz brand

This product is produced in the Netherlands. This is a well-known company that markets various ketchups and mayonnaises, as well as other sauces of all stripes and shades. The manufacturer could not resist starting to produce soy sauce. The company claims that the product does not contain dyes or preservatives and is made according to the original recipe.

Just look at the label and it becomes clear that these words are true. The only additive is caramel as a coloring agent. That is why if you are looking for the best soy sauce for marinade, then pay attention to this product. It is caramel that gives the unique dark color and delicate, enveloping taste. This sauce is presented in one flavor and packaged in 200 ml glass bottles. Its price is about 9,000 rubles. The cost is quite high, however, the consumption of soy sauce is relatively small and one bottle will last you for a long time.

According to ancient traditions

This is how Kikkoman brand soy sauce is made, using the same Japanese recipe for 300 years. The manufacturer maintains all proportions of soybeans, water, salt and wheat. There are no preservatives or flavor enhancers in the composition. We have reached number one in our ranking and can safely name the ideal soy sauce. Which is the best, the reviews tell you best. Kikkoman is the optimal balance of taste, color and consistency.

Products under this brand are divided into two subcategories: the first, in turn, is divided into sweet and classic. The taste of both can become the basis for the preparation of marinades and sauces. The sweeter one is most often used for dressing salads, but the classic taste is a universal additive for any dish.

The second category divides sauces according to the amount of salt. That is, you can choose more or less salty, depending on your taste preferences. The cost of a small 100 ml bottle is about 2000 rubles. If you want to appreciate the taste of Japanese cuisine, then try this unique product. It will definitely take root in your kitchen.

Almost every housewife has soy sauce in her kitchen: we not only use it with Japanese dishes, but also add it everywhere. It seems easier than that - go to the store and buy it. But no! All sauces that we sell as soy sauces are divided into three groups. To buy a healthy one, you need to know what it is made from. Soy often has nothing to do with it...

Fermentation sauces

How they do it

Steamed soybeans, from which the oil has been squeezed, are mixed with wheat or flour and the starter is added. In a warm, humid atmosphere, the mixture quickly becomes covered with mycelium (a special mold called “koji” in Chinese). Then the koji is poured with a salty solution, and a long fermentation process begins. Proteins break down into amino acids, carbohydrates into sugars. Some of the sugars react with proteins to form a natural brown dye, which gives the sauce its color.

Important: Soybean fats are often pre-removed using chemical solvents. Usually the unsafe solvent hexane is used.

Composition of the product

The ideal sauce contains 4 components - soy, wheat, water and salt. All! This is the best and most expensive soy sauce.

Components that may also be included: sugar, coloring (most often E150 caramel), ethyl alcohol or other alcohol, a preservative that stops fermentation, or other acids. They are acceptable, but the quality of the seasoning with them decreases.

Ingredients that cannot be included: glutamate and other flavor enhancers.

Important: On the label, manufacturers try to indicate that this is a fermented or fermented sauce (which is the same thing). Some people write that the sauce is “cooked” or “naturally cooked”. This is a mistranslation - soy sauces are not boiled.

Chemical industry products

How they do it

Proteins are subjected to chemical hydrolysis with hydrochloric acid.

Important: this is the most harmful option. Hydrolysis often produces the powerful carcinogen chloropropanol. It is found in many seasonings: more often from Asia, less often from Europe.

Product composition

Long, contains many nutritional additives:

— There are always flavor enhancers, they are disguised as yeast extract, vegetable protein hydrolysate, guanylates (E626 - E629), innosinates (E630 - E633), ribonucleotides (E634, E635);

— There are always dyes (caramel E150, “sunset yellow” E110, etc.);

— Usually there is a preservative E211 (benzoate) or E202 (potassium sorbate);

— Of the 4 components of a natural sauce, 3 may be present: soy, salt and water, but wheat is almost always absent.

Important: There’s not a word about fermentation, the main process in making sauce. The label only talks about its merits - quality, originality, etc.

Dissolving sauces

How they do it

No more than 10% of the fermentation sauce is dissolved in 90% water. And in order to give the liquid solution more taste and rich color, add more dyes, sugar, and acids. Most often they do without flavor enhancers.

Product composition

Water, sugar, salt, soy extract (water, soybeans, wheat flour, salt) - 9%, coloring - caramel, citric acid, preservative - potassium sorbate. On the label of this sauce you can read that it is “made from fermented soybeans.” This is only 10% true - so much of it is from the real sauce, the rest is from the evil one.

Important: sometimes there is a mixing sauce: a mixture of a small amount of fermentation sauce with hydrolysis sauce. The composition may be written like this: “A mixture of sauces in the following proportions: hydrolyzed soy sauce 93%, naturally fermented soy sauce 7%.” The quality of the product is appropriate: “chemistry” with a small proportion of real sauce.

Important: You should not take seriously such definitions of sauce as “classic”, “premium”, “traditional”, etc. They are not regulated by law and are found even on chemical seasonings.

Soy sauce appeared in the arsenal of Ukrainian culinary specialists relatively recently. At first, everyone perceived it exclusively as part of the recipe for sushi, a Japanese seafood dish that has been rapidly gaining popularity throughout the world in recent years. Over time, it turned out that soy sauce also goes well with other fish, meat dishes, side dishes and vegetables. The issue of the quality of soy sauce has become relevant, since it has not been produced in the traditional way for a long time.

How to make quality soy sauce

Ideally soy sauce is prepared in the following way. Soybeans are evaporated, mixed with roasted wheat grains, then filled with water and salted. The resulting mass is left to ferment in the sun in special containers. And this mass reaches the required “condition” in at least one year.

High quality soy sauce in addition to the ingredients mentioned above, it may contain other natural extracts in various combinations, for example, garlic, dill, for a variety of taste. Undoubtedly, this combination of products not only tastes good, but is also very healthy. Therefore, it is very natural that Europeans began to consume soy sauce in huge quantities.

And then the classic laws of the market came into play: high demand for soy sauce stimulated the high ingenuity of producers. The pursuit of profit often comes at the cost of quality. The only safe way to speed up the preparation of soy sauce is to add special microorganisms to the fermenting mass. This gives the sauce a characteristic sweetish taste and speeds up its “ripening” by about 12 times.

Prices for quality soy sauce Not everyone can afford it: from 3 to 9 dollars per bottle. Much cheaper - 1-2 dollars per bottle - is a sauce prepared in an original way: soybeans are boiled with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, and then quenched with alkali. And it's all. The technology is as simple as five kopecks, the time spent is scanty. In a month of operation of such a production, it is possible to flood all markets with cheap soy sauce. This is what happens. It’s even easier to dilute soy concentrate with water, pour it into bottles and put it on the shelves. It's just as cheap as the previous method, but at least it's not dangerous. ABOUT benefits of soy sauce in this case there is no question.

How to choose soy sauce

Quality soy sauce can be selected, judging by its bottle. Any high-quality sauce is sold exclusively in glass bottles. In plastic ones, the taste and aromatic originality of the product is lost. Soy sauce should contain only natural ingredients, no dyes or flavors. A good sauce has about 8% protein.

Usually, decent manufacturers write on the label: “produced on the basis of natural fermentation,” because this is one of the advantages of the product. Those who dilute soy concentrate with water usually simply modestly add the word “artificial.” But those who like to poison consumers with acids usually do not indicate anything, because it is not in their interests.

IN composition of soy sauce soybeans, wheat, sugar, salt, vinegar must be indicated. Additional components may be present (for example, garlic, peanuts), but in very small quantities. A high-quality sauce (even a dark one) has a pronounced brownish tint, and when viewed in the light it looks transparent, cloudy, and without sediment. If soy sauce is light brown in color, then there is no doubt that it is natural. But artificial and produced with the help of acid is usually dark brown, right up to black.

The benefits of soy sauce and its uses

Soy sauce- This is the only soy product that nutritionists unanimously recommend. Because it does not contain cholesterol, it simultaneously replaces salt, seasonings, oil, and mayonnaise. Soy sauce is low in calories: only 70 kcal per 100 g. And those who are on a diet should choose low-sodium soy sauce. Therefore, you need to learn to distinguish, albeit relatively inexpensive, but good sauce from an obvious and gross fake.

There is evidence that by blocking free radicals soy sauce slows down cell aging human body. Along with its antioxidant properties, soy sauce helps improve blood circulation. There are two main types of soy sauce used in Chinese cooking: light and dark. Dark soy sauce is aged much longer than light soy sauce, causing it to turn brownish-black in color and become thicker. As the name suggests, light sauce is noticeably lighter in color and is also saltier. It is most often used in cooking, since the strong aroma and color of dark sauce can spoil the appearance and taste of the dish (dark sauce is used in dark dishes, and also marinated meat in it).

Benefits of soy sauce in its balanced taste and high amino acid content. This wonderful product is not only good in itself, it is a base product for making many wonderful homemade sauces that can decorate absolutely any dish you prepare. Using a variety of additives, soy sauce based can be prepared mustard, mushroom, fish, shrimp sauce. By adding anise, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, and wine to homemade sauces, you will prepare amazing works of culinary art that have not only a wonderful taste, but also the exceptional benefits of soy sauce. The healing properties of the sauce are used as a sedative for insomnia, headaches, muscle spasms, sprains, swelling, and dermatitis.

Interesting facts about soy sauce

The first mention of soybeans appeared approximately 5 thousand years ago in China. Even in those days, people highly valued soybeans; it was not without reason that Emperor Ta Teow declared soybeans one of the five sacred plants (along with rice, wheat, barley and millet). Soybeans were also known in Japan. Soybeans came to Europe at the beginning of the 18th century, when the German traveler Engelbert Kaempfer returned from his Japanese expedition. Soybeans were brought to the New World (USA) only at the beginning of the 19th century, where in a short time soybean products became the most popular culinary ingredients. Currently, there are several thousand varieties of soybeans, but this plant can no longer be found in the wild. Farmers' soybean fields occupy vast areas around the world, and the amount of money involved in the production and sale of soy products is second only to the oil business.

It has been shown for certain that in Japan soy sauce appeared about 2000 years ago, although it is unknown whether it was already known in China by that time. Unfortunately, the name of the discoverer of soy sauce will most likely forever remain a secret of history, but the recipe for “natural fermentation” is still considered the standard for making soy sauce.

Interestingly, soy sauce is used instead of salt. Scientists attribute this to the fact that representatives of eastern peoples are much less likely (30 times!) to suffer from cardiovascular diseases and cancer compared to Europeans and Americans.

Based on materials from getway.info, gotovim.ru

How to choose soy sauce?

It's probably hard to give advice on food. Everyone has their own taste and the choice should always be yours. Therefore, the best option is to buy about 5 different types of sauces and try the one you like best. And these are just general recommendations. The bottle must be glass and the protein content must be at least 8%. Well, look at GMOs.

Choosing soy sauce is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. The main thing is to pay attention to the packaging container of the sauce.

Higher quality soy sauce is always packaged in glass bottles.

Look at the composition of the sauce on its label, there should be no GMOs or additives.

The main ingredient in the sauce is soybeans.

The color of the sauce should be dark brown and closer to black.

Be sure to pay attention to the protein content in the sauce; it should be at least six percent.

I personally prefer soy sauce with garlic, it is richer and a little thicker.

The most expensive sauce is considered to be of higher quality.

The stores offer a huge selection of soy sauces from different manufacturers.

From all this variety, I want to choose a naturally brewed sauce, without artificial additives.

What should you pay attention to when buying soy sauce?

• the bottle should be made of light glass so that you can better see the contents;
• the sauce should be dense, moderately thick, that is, there should be a mark on the glass of the bottle;
• sediment is completely eliminated;
• The shelf life of natural soy sauce is 1 year.

The right sauce will suit not only homemade rolls, it will also go well with any vegetables or rice.

We often buy soy sauce and, of course, I noticed that soy sauce should be packaged in glass bottles. Read the label carefully, which should not mention GMOs, additives or other chemicals. It should also be noted that soy sauce has a very rich black color due to black soybeans. These are the main characteristics of the choice, but you can also pay attention to the brand, which is better, etc.

Good soy sauce is always sold in glass bottles. This way it is better preserved. The composition should be as natural as possible, the protein content should be at least 6%. The color is dark brown. When you tilt the bottle, there should be a mark on the glass that indicates the thickness of the sauce.

There are a lot of soy sauces on store shelves, they all have different prices, but the only criterion for selecting high-quality soy sauce is the protein content in it, which should be at least 8 grams per 100 grams of classic soy sauce.

Surely, as with any other product, when buying the most expensive soy sauce, you are buying the best soy sauce. But I somehow feel sorry for spending any significant sums on it, although I really love it, and in general any Asian sauces and all Asian cuisine - from Uzbek to Vietnamese and Thai (Japanese - of course). I may be missing out on a lot.

For a long time I bought the Korean sauce Achim, which seemed to me to be excellent in terms of price-quality ratio. But I recently tried the Vietnamese beloved Bear, and although it seemed too sweet to me at first, now I like it more. It is much, noticeably thicker than Achim, and somehow... richer, or something.

1.Look at the packaging.

Bottle

High-quality sauces are sold only in glass bottles - this is the first commandment of a sauce buyer. The beneficial properties of sauces, their taste and aroma are not properly preserved in plastic packaging.

Lid.

The plastic lid is only suitable for soy sauces because they contain a lot of salt and air entering under the lid cannot harm the sauce. Vegetable sauces (tomato, pepper, dressing) must be reliably protected with a metal lid.

Press the center of the lid with your index finger. There should be no cotton. Otherwise, the packaging is not airtight, which means the sauce may be spoiled.

A high-quality sauce is prepared using a hot method. It is hot and bottled. As the sauce cools, it decreases in volume and a vacuum forms in the vacated space. It is he who pulls the pliable thin membrane of the lid inside. That's why there is no cotton.

However, even here we need to keep our eyes open. Some manufacturers use very hard metal lids that do not release when pressed and do not pop even when the sauce has already been opened. And there is no way to determine how sealed the packaging is. These covers have external differences. Their surface is perfectly flat and smooth. It does not have two barely visible relief concentric circles diverging from the center, which are always present on regular covers. The sauce with such a magic lid may not have been heat-treated, which means that there is no guarantee of the freshness and quality of this product.

Label.

The first thing that interests us is the composition.

A high-quality sauce should not contain artificial colors or flavors.

The ingredients should include only natural products - vegetables, spices, etc.

Soy sauce should not contain peanuts, because otherwise it will not be soy sauce, but peanut sauce. Natural soy sauce contains soybeans, corn, wheat, salt, sugar, vinegar and possibly natural spices.

When purchasing soy sauce, pay special attention to the protein content. In high-quality natural soy sauce, the protein content reaches 6-8%.

Another important condition for soy sauce is that it must be produced by natural fermentation. If there is no information about this on the label, it means that the manufacturer has nothing to brag about, and this is most likely a sauce obtained by diluting soy concentrate or by acid hydrolysis.

1. Try to take a closer look at the product itself.

When buying a product in a sealed package, we have rather limited opportunities to evaluate its appearance. High-quality sauces, as already mentioned, are sold only in glass bottles. These bottles should be absolutely colorless and transparent, unless, of course, the manufacturer has nothing to hide.

Take the bottle in your hands, look at the light. The color of the sauce should be natural. The pungent orange and bright scarlet shades of tomato and pepper sauces can only be achieved by adding coloring.

If the sauce contains pieces of vegetables (garlic, for example), then the task is greatly simplified. These pieces should be the original color (garlic - white, green onions - green). If the garlic pieces are pink and the green onions are brown, then there is definitely an artificial red color in the sauce.

As for soy sauces, it is somewhat more difficult to establish the truth. Turn the bottle in your hands, looking at the light. Natural soy sauce in a thin layer is clear and light brown, while concentrated soy sauce is opaque and almost black. The same can be said about the sauce obtained by acid hydrolysis.

That's probably all you should consider when choosing a sauce in the store. We can safely say that our advice will largely protect you from thoughtless purchases, help you maintain your health and benefit your family budget.

You need to buy naturally brewed soy sauce, and not one that was obtained using artificially accelerated technology with chemicals.

It is better to take proven brands that are more expensive. You can order soy sauce on iHerb.

About ten years ago we were not spoiled by the wealth of choice, and when we came to the store, we first of all set ourselves the task of not leaving empty-handed. Now, fortunately, the shelves are replete with a variety of products. Precisely diverse - they differ greatly from each other in appearance, in price, and most importantly - in quality. But everything has a downside. Today is the time to talk about the need to improve the qualifications of buyers, because in order not to get into trouble, you need to be very attentive and, moreover, a fairly savvy consumer, well versed in the intricacies of the recipe and technology for preparing certain products.

Special vigilance is required from sauce lovers. After all, there are so many of them - vegetable, oil, and soy; both imported and domestic; both expensive and cheap... And now neither the word “imported” nor the word “domestic” are synonymous with the word “quality”. And price is not the most reliable guide. What can a consumer who is drowning in a multi-colored sea of ​​sauces grab onto?

Meanwhile, everything is not so complicated. Here is a simple algorithm that will prevent you from making mistakes when purchasing.