What is Japanese Soy Sauce (Shoyu)?

Soy sauce is an essential ingredient for seasoning, not only in Japan but in many other Asian countries. It is made from fermenting and filtering raw ingredients like soybean, 'wheat, and salt to create a condiment. Koji is a malted rice that is used to ferment soy sauce. For more information on soy sauce visit https://www.tokusen.store/en/.

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The production of Shoyu is affected by the fermentation time, quality ingredients, brewing environment, and craftsman skills. They usually have five tastes: umami (sugary, salty, and bitter), and sour. Two years of fermentation is enough to make the best shoyu. Natural brewing and a long fermentation time result in shoyu that is rich in umami flavor.

Soy sauce is a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine. It's used along with mirin, sake, and other flavors. In Japanese cuisine, soy sauce is often absent. This makes it look like you are cooking Italian food without olive oil. It is also important to know which Japanese soy sauce works best in your particular cooking style. Some recipes call to use light soy sauce while others call for dark soy sauce. Others prefer tamari sauce.

Different Shoyu tastes are enjoyed in Japan. People from Kyushu and Hokuriku have deep roots in savoring sweet sauces, which are amakuchi soy sauces. Contrary to this, Kanto residents prefer dark soy sauce while Kansai people prefer thin soy sauce (usukuchi). In the Chubu region to the south, Tamari Sauce is abundant and light soy sauce is plentiful.