Quote:
Originally Posted by kindlekitten
what's the difference between Japanese and Chinese soy sauce?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vivaldirules
Yes, please tell us Stichy. The stuff I buy (I don't remember what brand I buy but it's probably Kraft or Old El Paso or Jake and Charlie's) just says Soy Sauce.
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Doggy, those are good for pouring over a cut of meat before eating, or for using in a salad dressing, but not for Asian cooking. It would be like drinking cold German Black beer rather than warm British Stout.
Soy sauce is a fermented product. And just like other fermented products, each has a completely different flavor. Just imagine the taste difference between different brands of beer. They are all 'beer' but they taste really, really different.
This difference is very pronounced in Soy sauces too. And as soy sauce is one of the most important flavorings in an Asian dish, it's really, REALLY important to use the right one for the dish. Thai soy sauce, Japanese soy sauce, Chinese soy sauce... These are the things that give the dish its characteristic flavors.
In Chinese cooking we use two 'main' soys; Light soy and Dark soy. The difference between these two is in their sweetness. The Light soy isn't! The dark soy is. It will say right on the label; Light Soy or Dark (perhaps Sweet) Soy. Another way to tell is to tip the bottle. If it darkly coats the glass it's Dark soy. Dark soy is also thicker because there is added molasses. Light soy will just give a very thin color that will run back down the glass.
There are also several 'flavored' Chinese soy sauces such as Mushroom flavored, Fish flavored, Shrimp Flavored, etc., but these are not the 'usual' soys called for in recipes.
Japanese soy sauce is an entirely different brew. Still a 'soy sauce,' but with a completely different taste. Perhaps the very best brand is
"Kikoman." But even with Kikoman there are some variations... low salt, salt free, etc.
If you use Japanese soy sauce in a Chinese dish, the resulting flavor, while not necessarily bad, will NOT be the correct flavor of the dish, and will not be 'as good' as it should be. Sometimes that difference IS big...
I only keep three 'large' bottles in my kitchen; Chinese Light, Chinese Dark, and Japanese Kikoman. I also keep 'small' bottles of Thai and Korean soy sauces, Oyster sauce, Fish sauce (both Thai and Vietnamese) and Mushroom soy.
Stitchawl