Introduction: Soy sauce is a condiment we often encounter in our daily lives, but do you know the different types of soy sauce? And do you know how to choose the right one?
As the old saying goes, "The seven necessities of opening a door: firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea." This refers to the seven things that ancient Chinese commoners had to attend to daily for their livelihood, and it has become a Chinese proverb. From "opening the door" (starting the family's daily operations or managing the household and sustaining a living), it was impossible to do without these seven daily necessities: firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea. These seven items represent the various necessities in a family's daily life.
Today, the meaning of these seven items is very different from ancient times. Besides generally referring to necessities in a common household, they also show a close relationship with the health of the people. So, as for the "sauce" of today, which is soy sauce, how much do you know about it? What is its relationship with our health?
According to historical records, our country began brewing sauce from animal meats such as cattle, sheep, deer, fish, and shrimp as early as 3,000 years ago. This sauce was called "jiang" (酱), and only a few nobles were qualified to eat it. Later, it gradually evolved to be made from beans and grains. Because the ingredients were more common, ordinary people could finally eat soy sauce. At that time, soy sauce was simply used to make dishes more delicious.
Today, soy sauce has developed into many varieties, and it's no longer limited to traditional brewing methods. There are now blended soy sauce and chemically hydrolyzed soy sauce. Among them, brewed soy sauce is the preferred choice. During the brewing process, not only are umami substances produced, but also Vitamin B12, making it the highest in nutritional content. Blended soy sauce is the next best option, while chemically hydrolyzed soy sauce, also known as Acid-Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Seasoning (abbreviated as HVP), is made from defatted soybeans, peanut meal, wheat protein, or corn protein that contains edible plant protein. It is hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid and then made into a liquid savory seasoning. Therefore, its nutritional value is extremely low, almost non-existent. Moreover, a toxic substance called 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) may be produced during the hydrolysis process. The label of brewed soy sauce will be marked with the word "brewed" (酿造). If non-brewed ingredients are added, the label will not have this word!
When buying soy sauce, besides checking if it is brewed, you should also pay attention to the grade of the soy sauce. The grade is mainly determined by the amount of amino acid nitrogen per 100ml of soy sauce: Premium ≥0.8g/100ml, Grade 1 ≥0.7g/100ml, Grade 2 ≥0.55g/100ml, Grade 3 ≥0.4g/100ml. Premium soy sauce has a better taste and umami. It can be said that the higher the amino acid nitrogen content, the higher the grade; the lower the content, the worse the umami.
To cater to the public's taste, soy sauce has also started to "change its look," with various flavors emerging endlessly: seafood soy sauce, cold-dressing soy sauce, umami-enhanced soy sauce, etc. How can you understand the "true identity" of these soy sauces? Check the ingredient list. You will find that although seafood soy sauce contains dried scallops, the decisive factors are some food additives like disodium succinate. For umami-enhanced soy sauce, the main ingredients are monosodium glutamate (the main component of MSG), disodium 5'-inosinate, and disodium 5'-guanylate. Although these three components are basically present in all soy sauces, umami-enhanced soy sauce uses them in larger quantities than other flavored soy sauces. Therefore, when choosing soy sauce, don't be misled by the name.
"Why do some soy sauces contain preservatives while others don't?" Soy sauces without preservatives like sodium benzoate actually contain a natural preservative—salt. These soy sauces have few added ingredients, but their salt content is often higher than that of soy sauces with preservatives. Therefore, when using this type of soy sauce for seasoning, remember to use less or no additional salt to avoid excessive salt intake, which can lead to some chronic diseases. For patients with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, or high blood lipids, special attention must be paid to the amount used when using this soy sauce.
In the supermarket, soy sauces are dazzling, including children's soy sauce, pregnant women's soy sauce, iron-fortified soy sauce, etc., making it a difficult task to choose. Here is a brief introduction to several types of soy sauce:
1. By use: Dark soy sauce has a stronger coloring effect than light soy sauce and can be used for dishes that need coloring. Umami-enhanced soy sauce contains more added MSG and chicken essence, so it is not recommended to add these seasonings again during cooking. For cold-dressing soy sauce, you can save the effort of chopping scallions, ginger, garlic, etc., as it is quick and convenient. However, cold-dressing soy sauce only adds artificial flavors of ginger and garlic, so it does not provide the health benefits of real garlic or ginger. Table soy sauce can be eaten raw or used for cooking!
2. By nutritional content: Soy sauce labeled with "first extraction" (头抽) will have higher nutritional value, especially in vitamins, and a better taste. "Third extraction" (三抽) soy sauce has the least nutritional content and the weakest umami. Mushroom soy sauce, seafood soy sauce, etc., generally have added umami substances after adding corresponding artificial flavors, but they do not contain the nutrition of real mushrooms or seafood.
3. By function: Iron-fortified soy sauce is more suitable for children, adult women, pregnant women, and other groups who are prone to iron-deficiency anemia. Light-salt soy sauce has a lower salt content, so under the same usage, the salt intake is lower, making it more suitable for people who need to control "three highs": high blood pressure, diabetes, and high blood lipids.
Another puzzle that troubles us is, "When stir-frying, should you add soy sauce early or late?" My family has always added it early because the aroma is stronger. Actually, the timing of adding soy sauce has a certain relationship with the cooking method:
1. Stir-frying: It is generally recommended to add soy sauce later. Soy sauce contains many ingredients now, especially some umami components. High oil temperatures might cause these components to break down, reducing the umami. Therefore, it is recommended to add soy sauce when the dish is almost ready, and the amount should not be too large.
2. Stewing: It is generally recommended to add it in the middle. Stewed dishes usually involve meat. No matter what kind of meat, if salt is added too early, the meat will not cook easily and can become tough. Generally, salt is added in the middle. Since soy sauce contains salt, to prevent the meat from becoming tough from long stewing, adding soy sauce in the middle can ensure the umami while keeping the meat tender.
Health Tip: Which groups should control their soy sauce intake?
1. Patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease should limit soy sauce as they do salt. Soy sauce contains sodium from salt, monosodium glutamate, sodium benzoate, disodium 5'-inosinate, and disodium 5'-guanylate.
2. Gout patients: The nucleotide ingredients added to enhance umami in soy sauce, as well as the purine components in soybeans themselves, are strictly controlled for gout patients. Gout often damages the kidneys, and kidney patients must strictly control salt intake. Since soy sauce contains salt, they should also control it.
Although soy sauce is just a small seasoning in the kitchen, it has profound knowledge. Understanding the basics of soy sauce, let's choose healthy soy sauce together.