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soy sauce

Originally from China, soy sauce is made from salted, cooked fermented soybean,wheat, salt, sugar and yeast. This process which can take up to two years, is very similar to making yogurt. Soy sauce, also known as Shoyu and Tamari is often used in "Oriental" cooking.

The condiment is used in all kinds of dishes from soups and sauces to stir-fries. Both the Chinese and the Japanese are renown for their skills at making soy based sauces. The Chinese tend to prefer darker, salty more flavorful blends. The Japanese a lighter less salty even sweeter mixture. This is not a hard and fast rule as each culture has recipes which use both kinds of sauce.

Light soy is often used in seafood and vegetables dishes, while dark soy is used in meat based dishes.

One of the benefits using soy sauces is that it makes it easier to absorb iron from vegetable sources. Sadly, this is balanced by the high sodium content and the presence of tyramine, a pressor amine, both contribute to higher blood pressure. Recipes: