Right here’s a easy rationalization of the distinction between the three principal varieties of soy sauce (mild, darkish and regular). The three golden guidelines to recollect are:
You may interchange mild soy sauce and all function soy sauce in recipes;
Reading: Dark soy sauce vs regular
If a recipe simply says “soy sauce”, use an all function soy sauce OR mild soy sauce; and
NEVER use darkish soy sauce until a recipe particularly requires it. It’s overpoweringly robust.
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Table of Contents
Soy Sauce – 3 principal varieties
The mains varieties of soy sauce are:
Mild soy sauce
Dark soy sauce
Soy sauce (all function, “normal” or “standard” soy sauce”) – when bottles are merely labelled “soy sauce”. Not mild, darkish, candy, mushroom or every other kind of soy sauce. I’m going to confer with this as “all purpose soy sauce” on this publish, to keep away from confusion.
You may interchange mild soy sauce and all function soy sauce in recipes. However you could NEVER use darkish soy sauce until a recipe requires it – it is extremely robust and can overpower the dish!
Distinction between every kind of soy sauce
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Right here’s the principle distinction between every of them:
Mild soy sauce (7.2% sodium) – provides salt to a dish however doesn’t stain noodles a deep mahogany color nor does it add a lot “soy flavour”
Dark soy sauce (9.3% sodium) – should extra intense in flavour and saltiness, noodles grow to be a stunning darkish color
All function soy sauce (7% sodium) – just about mild sauce however barely extra soy flavour. It gained’t stain noodles with color.
Sodium percentages is the salt % in every kind of soy sauce, and is a sign solely as they differ between manufacturers. The principle takeaway right here is that darkish soy is saltier than mild and all function.
Soy Sauce Trivia! Although darkish soy sauce has extra salt it in that mild soy sauce, mild soy sauce tastes saltier. It is because darkish soy sauce has a a lot stronger soy flavour which overpowers the salty flavour.
What this implies – many recipes name for a mixture of darkish soy sauce and lightweight sauce to get the proper stability of flavour, color and saltiness. When you solely use darkish soy sauce, the sauce flavour is approach too robust. When you simply use mild soy sauce, the sauce might be salty, however not very flavourful. So I take advantage of darkish soy sauce to color sauces/noodles and for flavour, then prime up the saltiness utilizing mild soy sauce which provides saltiness, a bit little bit of flavour, and never a lot color.
When to make use of which soy sauce
Dark soy sauce is used for color and flavour – it provides a terrific mahogany stain to something it is available in contact with, from the Lo Mein noodles pictured above to the darkish, spicy Sichuan sauce of Kung Pao Hen, Thai Basil Hen and Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried Noodles).
Mild and all function soy sauce is used if you wish to add soy sauce seasoning (salt) to dishes with out overwhelming it with robust soy flavour or making the dish a darkish color. So it’s a deliberate selection for recipes like Chow Mein (pictured above), including flavour into clear Chinese language soup broths (like this Chinese language noodle soup), holding the rice color white(ish) for Fried Rice, or if you desire a clear sauce for stir fries like Chop Suey (Hen Stir Fry) or Cashew Hen.
Mixture of darkish and soy is used to create a stability of flavour, salt and color. You add a little bit of darkish soy for the flavour and color, then use mild soy so as to add extra saltiness to a dish with out overwhelming it with soy flavour. Examples: San Choy Bow (Chinese language Lettuce Wraps), Scorching and Bitter Soup, Thai Drunken Noodles.
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Dipping sauce – use mild or all function soy sauce. Don’t use darkish soy sauce – too robust! Issues to dip:
Salad dressings – mild or all function soy sauce. It might be very uncommon to make use of darkish soy sauce. Asian salads to attempt:
Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free
Opposite to standard perception, soy sauce is NOT gluten free. The excellent news is that these days, gluten free soy sauce is broadly accessible at on a regular basis grocery shops with main manufacturers like Kikkoman and Lee Kum Kee all providing gluten free soy sauces.
Different varieties of soy sauce varieties
Different varieties of soy sauce varieties that aren’t as generally utilized in my recipes embody:
Kecap Manis – this can be a candy Indonesian soy sauce that has a syrupy fidelity. Provides sweetness, stains with color and provides soy flavour. Used within the following recipes:
Mushroom soy sauce – it’s like all function soy sauce with the addition of earthy mushroom flavour. It’s truly substitute for darkish soy sauce as a result of it has extra flavour than mild and all function soy sauce.
Tamari – this was historically supplied because the gluten free various to soy sauce. However truly, this is sort of a extra complicated flavoured soy sauce, and barely much less salty too. Good to make use of as a dipping sauce!
And there you might have it! My soy sauce crash course which I’m sharing to accompany my “What to buy from Asian Grocery Stores Guide”. (6 sauces = 45+ recipes!)
Hope you discover it helpful! – Nagi x
Lifetime of Dozer
No recipes doesn’t imply no Dozer!! He smells of strawberry proper now, from my shampoo (he was out of his personal!)
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