Soy sauce preference?

[Michael_in_TX]

Very cool! Thank you!

[rickgregory]

Hey, ran across this on Serious Eats, a nice overview of the various popular soy sauce styles with recommendations for each. https://www.seriouseats.com/do-you-k...an-differences

[Bkhuna]

They aren't actually soy sauce. Those little packets with panda's and such on them are knock offs intended to maximize profits, not flavors. Most of the cheap stuff is made from hydrolyzed vegetable protein via a chemical process because it's cheap and fast. It looks like soy sauce but it isn't a product of fermentation like the real stuff and yes, it tastes terrible.

[Murdy]

Probably been sitting under the counter for 9 years.

[Draznnl]

Yep. I gave up on the packets years ago. I pull out my bottle of Kikkoman and use that.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

So it's interesting to read of this, but it begs a question I've wondered for freaking YEARS...

Why do the little packets of soy sauce at EVERY Chinese takeout have absolutely ZERO flavor??? It's like... they took the regular soy sauce and diluted it with 4 or 5 parts water! But it isn't pale, it's the same color, just has like... NO flavor! I can put 5 packets of that shite on my noodles, it'll be running everywhere, and I still can't get any of the soy sauce flavor! It's like they're just laughing at us as they throw a half dozen packets in our takeout bag.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

I made my own kecap manis before - it's not hard, just soy with a few extra ingredients. It's pretty good, useful for some things.

[Bkhuna]

I cook a lot of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese so I have a few different soy sauces. They are all available at Asian groceries or online.

1. Kikkoman is my favorite general purpose sauce. Unless otherwise noted, this is the first stuff I grab when in need of soy sauce.
2. If I'm cooking a lighter type of food and need a broth that should be lighter in color, I use Usukushi style soy sauce. I generally buy Yamase but Kikkoman is also good.
3. Tamari is a form of soy sauce that was invented in Japan and contains no wheat. It's very mellow and I use it when I do any pickles that require soy sauce or as a dip. Once again, Kikkoman is my go to.
4. Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Chinese - This stuff is darker, sweeter and thicker than Kikkoman and used in dishes where you want the dark reddish color. I use it primarily as an ingredient in stir-fry sauce.

https://www.japancentre.com/en/pages/65-soy-sauce

[tamidw]

We generally use the LaChoy. I have had the kikkoman and honestly don’t care for it, it has a stronger or something taste I don’t like. Not sure how to describe it, but don’t care for it. I’d love to find others that are better.

[RichieB]

Kikkoman here.

[wu7y]

Actually, Kikkoman is a Japanese soy sauce produced in Japan under that brand name beginning in 1917. It had been produced since the early 1600's under another name. We lived in Japan from 1966-1970 and had never heard of it before then. The Kikkoman we buy here is produced by KikkomanUSA in the US but I don't know when that company began production. I believe it was after we returned to the states.

[Debra]

We always keep a bottle of Kikoman's in the fridge along with a bottle of a local Hawaian places signature sauce.
I cant come up with a link to the sauce but they sell it by the bottle. Hawaiian style soy sauce. It is a sweeter soy sauce and it is used two to 1 vs Kikomans at our house. For fast food Hawaiian Bro' is excellent. Especially their macaroni salad.

https://hawaiianbros.com/menu/

[Murdy]

I used Kikkoman for a long time, but switched to Trader Joe's maybe 5 years ago. I find it more flavorful.

[58limited]

It is. A recipe I was looking at a couple of years ago recommended using Haku Smoked Soy sauce. It is $37.29 for 375 ml. on Amazon. I didn't buy it.

[Strat50]

This is a huge rabbit hole, but here goes: Kikkoman light, or tamari for everyday. Pearl River Bridge dark mushroom soy when you need that inky darkness without too much salt, such as drunken noodles, etc. Korean soup soy sauce when you need, as well as any brand I feel like trying. I taste it first, then assign it a purpose, so to speak. That keeps it interesting..