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Soy sauce

A condiment originally from china.Soy sauce occupies a preeminent position in the cuisines of Asian countries.Its Japanese name is shoyu.Traditionally,soy sauce,shoyu and tamari refer to the liquid formed during the manufacture of miso.

Traditional Chinese soy sauce is made using whole soybeans and ground wheat.It can be more or less dark depending on its age and whether caramel or molasses has been added.

Tamari is made exclusively using soybeans or soybean meal(the residue from pressing the beans when oil is extracted);therefore,it contains no cereal grain.It sometimes contains additives such as monosodium glutamate and caramel.Tamari is dark and has a thicker consistency.Shoyu is lighter in color than Chinese soy sauce and slightly sweet.

Soy sauce (Chinese or Japanese) contains some of the alcohol produced during the fermentation of the cereal grains,whereas tamari has none.The soy sauce found in supermarkets is usually a synthetic product that is a pale imitation of the original.