Pan-Chinese — soy sauce production is documented in China from the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE); the technology spread to Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia
The taxonomy of Chinese soy sauce: light soy (sheng chou) — thinner, saltier, used for seasoning and marinades; dark soy (lao chou) — thicker, sweeter, used for colour in braises; double dark soy — for deep lacquered colour; sweet soy (jiang you gao) — thick and caramelised; mushroom soy — infused with shiitake for extra umami. Each serves specific technical functions.
Varies dramatically: light soy is sharp and salty; dark soy is sweet, syrupy, caramelised
{"Light soy for flavour — it is the primary seasoning; dark soy for colour — it is not the primary seasoning","Never substitute dark for light in a seasoning role — it is too thick and sweet","Premium light soy: naturally brewed (tian ran jiu niang) has more complex flavour than chemical soy","Dark soy added to red braises imparts mahogany colour — use sparingly"}
{"Pearl River Bridge and Lee Kum Kee are reliable accessible brands for both light and dark","Premium aged light soy (10-year sheng chou) is worth seeking for cold dishes and dipping sauces","Kikkoman is Japanese-style soy (koikuchi) — perfectly acceptable substitute but not authentically Chinese"}
{"Using dark soy as the primary soy in a stir-fry — overpowers everything","Generic 'all-purpose soy' when the recipe specifies light — inferior result","Buying non-brewed chemical soy — it lacks the complex amino acid flavour of proper fermented soy"}
The Food of Sichuan — Fuchsia Dunlop