462161 Mon Nov 19 14:05:45 -0800 2007 38 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3139669 I just got back from my local Asian market. The selection of soy sauce is always a little exciting and overwhelming. I bought some Wei-Chuan, china dark soy sauce. It is from Singapore. I have bought it before and had good results. I also bought some Nuoc Tuong which is from Taiwan but the name sounds Thai to me (but, what do I know). Anyway, any experience with Nuoc Tuong? Any thoughts on the virtues of different styles of Soy Sauce. Thanks Mon Nov 19 14:05:45 -0800 2007 19291 frankiii 1 3139754 I always buy the Japanese brands like Kikkoman. My family's Chinese and my mom has a bias against soy sauce from China. She doesn't think the factory quality control is all there and worries about soy being watered down. Mon Nov 19 14:28:10 -0800 2007 3139669 43882 singleguychef 2 3139794 That is good to know, I had been looking for other brands for two reasons. One, i just like to try different things. Second, becuase i just assumed that a widely available brand like Kikkoman would be "watered down" for american tastes. Thanks for your input! Mon Nov 19 14:38:53 -0800 2007 3139754 19291 frankiii 1 3139815 There is soy sauce you buy to cook with, then there is soy sauce you buy to use as dipping sauce. Whatever brand you decide on, splurge on the latter. Mon Nov 19 14:47:05 -0800 2007 3139669 11583 ipsedixit 1 3141101 I think Nuoc Tuong is Vietnamese for 'soy sauce' . There are tons of different types of soy sauce, from many different countries. Each one has it's use. I would say, as a rough guide, stick with a soy sauce brand which comes from the country which cuisine you're cooking. IE: Don't cook with Japanese soy sauce if you're making Chinese or Thai food. From there you can learn about the different types of soy sauce, dark, sweet, salty, thin, etc. Also, it goes rancid pretty quickly. Replace your bottle every 3 months or so if you don't use it often. If you swirl it around a bit in the bottle, and it leaves a sort of reddish-brown coloring on the glass, it's no good (it'll smell off too). I live in Thailand, and cook Thai food, so I buy Thai brands. I use Healthy Boy brand often. (yellow label with a fat kid) I also like the brand with the boat, and the one with the dragonfly on the label. For dark soy sauces, I use the steamboat brand. Sorry - I don't know the correct name in English, so I'm describing the logos. :) I've got a picture of the logos here: http://www.realthairecipes.com/category/glossary/sauces-and-pastes/#white-soy-sauce Mon Nov 19 23:48:28 -0800 2007 3139669 76068 cee 2 3148849 What an informative site RealThaiRecipes is. Thank you for the link! Fri Nov 23 07:16:22 -0800 2007 3141101 75332 Gio 1 3141510 Does all this advice and all these suggestions go for Tamari as well? Tue Nov 20 06:40:23 -0800 2007 3139669 111178 sea97horse 1 3141527 I'm not a fan of Kikkoman. It is too salty. San-J makes a naturally brewed Tamari premium soy sauce that has more flavor. I also like the Kame dark soy when you need that punch. Tue Nov 20 06:46:39 -0800 2007 3139669 116209 gailBE 1 3141927 I have other questions on Soy Sauce. Sometimes I see 3 varieties of the Pearl Brand soy sauce with different labeling. Are there counterfeit soy sauces? Are all soy sauces made the same? I usually look for the ones that don't have chemicals in them or have no wheat (I'm not gluten allergic) but it's really hard for some reaason. Why can't I find Kikkoman light soy sauce at the supermarket? I want to stop stealing the bottles from the japanese restaurants. Tue Nov 20 08:35:57 -0800 2007 3139669 30876 marblebag 2 3142192 Marblebag, I've found Kikkoman light soy at the Asian markets, even at my Safeway. But I do live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so maybe the markets can afford to provide more variety. I've even found Kikkoman specifically for sushi. Tue Nov 20 09:41:48 -0800 2007 3141927 43882 singleguychef 3 3155188 I've never NOT found Kikkoman light at any Safeway, when I've looked, but that's just been in Western Canada and in Oregon. Rest assured SF is not special in this regard. Mon Nov 26 09:21:23 -0800 2007 3142192 12135 John Manzo 2 3148044 I've never seen a soy sauce without wheat, but I've heard that there are a small number available. If you google "soy sauce" and "celiac", you'll probably find some brand names. Thu Nov 22 13:01:53 -0800 2007 3141927 75881 vorpal 3 3157362 Wheat-free soy sauce is called "tamari". Mon Nov 26 20:10:05 -0800 2007 3148044 145820 fmed 2 3155754 The brand you're referring to (Pearl River brand?) is one of my favorites. Three labels because there's light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and a dark mushroom soy sauce. The way my mom taught me is to cook with the light soy sauce for flavor (esp. if you don't want it incredibly salty), then adds a splash of the dark mushroom for color (so the sauce has a rich deep color). The mushroom soy doesn't have a ton of flavor. Mon Nov 26 11:47:45 -0800 2007 3141927 93901 geekyfoodie 1 3143467 Kikkoman is Japanese brewed soy sauce which I use mainly for teriyaki dishes and marinades. If you're in Hawaii, Aloha Shoyu is their local brand of soy sauce mostly used for their huli huli BBQ and dipping. For my Chinese cooking, I use the dark soy which has lots of thick molasses in it to give it a sweeter taste. Light soy is used sometimes for marinades and basic cooking. BTW, Kikkoman lite soy is just soy sauce with less sodium content to cut down on the saltiness. Tue Nov 20 15:01:10 -0800 2007 3139669 116037 Clinton 2 3145858 I like Aloha Shoyu. I can sometimes find them in Japantown in San Francisco. Wed Nov 21 11:28:46 -0800 2007 3143467 43882 singleguychef 3 3146874 Clinton, I dfon't think Kikkoman is brewed in Japan. It used to be, but all the bottles of it I have seen over the past few years were labelled as having been made in the U.S.A. I myself like Superior, either regular or dark, made in China. Wed Nov 21 18:23:42 -0800 2007 3145858 54222 ekammin 4 3146886 Kikkoman must still be making soy sauce, and other sauces, in Japan. They have, though, had a USA factory for several decades at least (in Wisconsin, I believe). Their sauce in general US markets most likely is US made, but a large Asian chain (like 99 Ranch) should have some of their Japanese line. paulj Wed Nov 21 18:32:02 -0800 2007 3146874 12139 paulj 5 3154526 Kikkoman has two production facilities in the U.S. The oldest is in Walworth, WI, while the second is in Folsom, CA. Mon Nov 26 01:03:09 -0800 2007 3146886 17104 Margot 1 3147963 I have a single simple rule ... never buy French's. It's fake soy sauce. Thu Nov 22 11:54:57 -0800 2007 3139669 14479 wayne keyser 1 3148038 What cee said. The words "Nuoc Tong" are definitely not Thai, but Vietnamese. Personally, I like to have three different soy sauces on hand: a light soy sauce, which I use for the majority of dishes; a dark soy sauce, which I use when the dish requires a darker, thicker, saltier taste; and kecap manis, for when my cooking needs its sweet thickness. My favourite is Pearl River Bridge thus far, but everyone's tastes vary dramatically, and it also should really depend on what style of cooking you're planning. (I focus strongly on Thai, and dabble lightly in Chinese.) For example, Japanese soy sauces are often very good and I love them as a base for dipping sauce, but they should be avoided when it comes to Thai cookery. My rule with soy sauces is to buy Asian products without added MSG (including hydrolyzed proteins and autolyzed yeast extract), colour, or preservatives. I've virtually never seen an Asian soy sauce with any of these: this seems to be a North American phenomenon, predominantly. Thu Nov 22 12:57:10 -0800 2007 3139669 75881 vorpal 1 3148219 My family stays away from the Pearl River Bridge brand and other brands from China too. I mean both my family here and my parents back in Hong Kong. We don't trust their quality control and what type of additives they put in. And we have been avoiding stuff from China for a while, opting for brands made in Hong Kong, Taiwan or Japan instead (or at least made in China under a license). And that is way before they make headlines in the US. Not a blind bias... you would too if you can read the Chiense newspapers. I usually get the ones made in Japan, found in oriental grocery store. I found that the Kikkoman's made in US contain preservatives, while the one made in Japan, as well as other brands made in Japan, do not contain preservative. Could it just be a labeling issue? At least for now I am paying more to get the pres-free Japanese version. Similarly, for Maggi, we found products made in China as well as made in Switzerland or Germany. Thu Nov 22 15:14:48 -0800 2007 3139669 111947 tarepanda 2 3148565 I don't know about Kikkoman, but Maggi definitely makes different formulations for different countries. I'll take what you said to heart about Pearl River Bridge and I'm going to try to get my hands on a Thai soy sauce next visit to Chinatown. Thu Nov 22 21:20:10 -0800 2007 3148219 75881 vorpal 3 3148638 vorpal - for the type of cooking you do, you should definitely try the thai brands. you might find you like the taste more too. Fri Nov 23 00:04:02 -0800 2007 3148565 76068 cee 4 3148758 I didn't realize there was a significant difference between Thai and Chinese soy sauces. (I feel a little silly about it, since I've been avidly cooking Thai food for ten years.) I'm really looking forward now, though, to seeing how it alters the taste! Thanks for the tip! Fri Nov 23 05:56:17 -0800 2007 3148638 75881 vorpal 2 3149302 The Japanese soy sauces often have a bit of alcohol as a preservative. Most preservatives are, seriously, totally harmless, certainly the anti-fermentation sort they put in things like soy sauce (usually an infinitesmal amount of potassium sorbate or the like). Personally, I don't much like tamari but maybe if I ate sushi/sashimi I'd use it for that. The wheat someone else mentioned is a normal/traditional ingredient, though not I think in traditional tamari which was originally a by-product of miso-making. Fri Nov 23 10:39:13 -0800 2007 3148219 11980 MikeG 3 3149593 "Most preservatives are, seriously, totally harmless" I don't buy it. It may be true, but I'd rather err on the side of caution, and I've never found that soy sauces benefit much from preservatives. Indeed, one of the most common preservatives that was considered safe until recently, sodium benzoate, was recently shown to be potentially dangerous, serving possibly both as a carcinogen and as a contributing factor to ADHD. Fri Nov 23 13:07:03 -0800 2007 3149302 75881 vorpal 2 3149836 We're a Chinese-American family from Hong Kong and have been using Pearl River bridge for years with no bad results. Recently we've been buying their Golden Label Soy Sauce. Fri Nov 23 15:26:44 -0800 2007 3148219 22285 dpan 1 3148328 Any thoughts about the Lee Kum Kee brand from China? 99Ranch has quite a few sauces from them, including a relatively expensive XO sauce. I recently bought their Double deluxe soy sauce, which claims to use a traditional double fermenting method. Ingredient list is simple: water, salt, soybean, sugar, wheat flour. It seems to have a nice complexity in flavor. By comparison US Kikoman is sharper or saltier. Japanese made Trader Joe's is as mild the the LKK, but 'simpler'. I'm out of the Aloha, though my memory is that it is more dilute with a hint of saltiness. paulj Thu Nov 22 17:28:42 -0800 2007 3139669 12139 paulj 2 3150818 The Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark is now my favorite, with a more intense, "browner" soy flavor - the 1/2 used Kikkoman bottle just sits there. Sat Nov 24 07:52:19 -0800 2007 3148328 17015 bob192 1 3151080 The best soy sauce is the one from first fermentation, there is on from Hong Kong if you can find it, price more than double of the regulars Sat Nov 24 10:27:56 -0800 2007 3139669 145246 CLLLAL 2 3152172 I have been wanting to try it... do you think it's worth the price. BTW I checked the Japanese brand I use, it's Wadakan and my hubby likes it better than Kikkoman. Awesome aroma. Sat Nov 24 20:42:40 -0800 2007 3151080 111947 tarepanda 1 3152206 at one time soy sauce was made with minimal amounts of grain, the japanese type was more wheat based than the chinese. tamari used almost no grains at all, this has changed and now most soys contain wheat in varying quantities unless labeled otherwise. wikepedia has a fairly comprehensive breakdown of the chinese, japanese, taiwanese, vietnamese and korean types but does not specifically mention the thai. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy_sauce Sat Nov 24 21:08:18 -0800 2007 3139669 46161 spinach 1 3155759 For cooking, I use the Pearl River brand (see my reply to Marblebag) and for dipping or sprinkling over rice, I love the Maggi brand. Rice, a sunny side up egg, and Maggi makes for a quick comfort meal. Mon Nov 26 11:49:50 -0800 2007 3139669 93901 geekyfoodie 2 3156007 Maggi isn't soy sauce, though, is it? I was under the impression that it was essentially just a bunch of different forms of MSG thrown together with a couple other flavourings. Mon Nov 26 12:52:46 -0800 2007 3155759 75881 vorpal 3 3156081 Truth be told, I honestly did not realize it isn't soy-based. The website says it's composed of vegetable proteins. I stand corrected. Still, though, when it comes to something to use plain over rice or for dipping, I prefer it over Kikkoman-esque soy sauce. Mon Nov 26 13:12:12 -0800 2007 3156007 93901 geekyfoodie 1 3157464 Has anyone tried Trader Joe's soy sauce? Any thoughts? Mon Nov 26 20:54:41 -0800 2007 3139669 107725 bards4 2 3157583 I mentioned my impressions a few posts back - but I don't use soy sauce enough, especially alone, to be a good judge. To be specific, I have the 'reduced sodium', 'made in Japan' version. paulj Mon Nov 26 22:15:39 -0800 2007 3157464 12139 paulj 1 3158746 Agnostura makes an interesting soy sauce. Not too salty, good distinct flavor. I bought it out of curiosity. Tue Nov 27 11:27:00 -0800 2007 3139669 18755 howboy