India — The term “soy sauce” most likely comes from the condiment’s Japanese name, “shoyu”. This is a bit strange, given that the Chinese invented the process of fermenting soy to create this nuanced sauce packed with flavour.
Since the 1980s, there have been efforts to reclaim the term “shoyu” for the sauce made using the traditional method of fermenting ingredients slowly for months in large barrels. But the term “soy sauce” is so widely used that these battles have been largely unsuccessful. Even versions made using quick industrial methods, with added colour, sugar and preservatives and a flat sharp flavour, are sold as “soy sauce”.
True shoyu is difficult and time-consuming to make. It starts with a two-step fermentation process where, first, a cooked-soybean-and-wheat mixture is inoculated with a filamentous fungus called koji . Once this process has begun, the second stage of fermentation involves adding this mix of soy, wheat and koji to a 16% brine solution, to create a mash called moromi. The high levels of salt eliminate the koji that was so carefully cultivated for the first stage; it is no longer needed. The enzymes, however, continue their work, breaking down the complex foods into simpler components that the salt-tolerant yeast and lactic acid bacteria can now digest.
The best bet remains multi-generation artisanal soy-sauce makers who use whole soybean and extended fermentation cycles.
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