Shoyu (醤油) is the Japanese word for soy sauce. More than a condiment, shoyu is considered a different dimension of taste.
In the West, there were traditionally 4 tastes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness.
In 1908, Kikunae Ikeda, a professor of the Tokyo Imperial University, proposed that there's a 5th taste: umami. Umami can be described as a savory, brothy taste with a long lasting sensation on the tongue. Shoyu was given as the prime example of umami taste.
Taste is a subjective human experience. However, umami is now well excepted as a 5th taste.
The Japanese consider umami to be as important as sweetness or saltiness. That's why shoyu is such a prominent ingredient and condiment in Japanese cuisine.
There's a big difference between Japanese soy sauce and other Asian varieties. Japanese soy sauce tends to use wheat as a grain — it's sweet with a sherry-like taste.
1. Koikuchi
Uses about half soy beans and half wheat. Considered a Tokyo area variety. About 80% of the shoyu sold in Japan is koikuchi.
2. Namash Oyu
Unpasteurized shoyu (usually koikuchi).
3. Tamari
Contains little or no wheat. Darker and less sweet. Considered the traditional variety — historically all Japanese shoyu was tamari.
4. Shiro
A light colored, mostly wheat shoyu from Osaka. Often used for aesthetic purposes (to avoid discoloring food).
5. Usukuchi
A salty shoyu from Osaka that uses amazake (a sweet liquid made from fermented rice).
6. Saishikomi
Brewed twice for a potent taste.
7. Genen
A modern variety that uses 50% less salt.
8. Usujio
Uses 20% less salt.
Honjozo
Honjozo is 100% fermented. The best honjozo are produced according to traditional methods.
(soy sauce paste is later diluted to form a liquid)
Kongo-jozo and Kongo
A mix of fermented shoyu mash mixed with chemical or enzymatic hydrolysate of plant protein. Factory produced.
(soy sauce by the truck load)
The sandwich always comes with a tube of soy sauce. I've never seen anyone use it.
This airline seems to believe that Japanese people put soy sauce on everything. Despite misconceptions like this, there are some pretty wild uses of soy sauce in Japan. Soy sauce potato chips and chocolate top the list.
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Umami: The 5th Taste
Soy sauce has a unique flavor. So unique, that it's considered a basic taste.In the West, there were traditionally 4 tastes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness.
In 1908, Kikunae Ikeda, a professor of the Tokyo Imperial University, proposed that there's a 5th taste: umami. Umami can be described as a savory, brothy taste with a long lasting sensation on the tongue. Shoyu was given as the prime example of umami taste.
Taste is a subjective human experience. However, umami is now well excepted as a 5th taste.
The Japanese consider umami to be as important as sweetness or saltiness. That's why shoyu is such a prominent ingredient and condiment in Japanese cuisine.
What is Soy Sauce?
Soy sauce is a fermented liquid of soybeans, grains, brine and Aspergillus molds (Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae).There's a big difference between Japanese soy sauce and other Asian varieties. Japanese soy sauce tends to use wheat as a grain — it's sweet with a sherry-like taste.
The 8 Types of Japanese Soy Sauce
There are 8 types of Japanese shoyu:1. Koikuchi
Uses about half soy beans and half wheat. Considered a Tokyo area variety. About 80% of the shoyu sold in Japan is koikuchi.
2. Namash Oyu
Unpasteurized shoyu (usually koikuchi).
3. Tamari
Contains little or no wheat. Darker and less sweet. Considered the traditional variety — historically all Japanese shoyu was tamari.
4. Shiro
A light colored, mostly wheat shoyu from Osaka. Often used for aesthetic purposes (to avoid discoloring food).
5. Usukuchi
A salty shoyu from Osaka that uses amazake (a sweet liquid made from fermented rice).
6. Saishikomi
Brewed twice for a potent taste.
7. Genen
A modern variety that uses 50% less salt.
8. Usujio
Uses 20% less salt.
Grades of Japanese Soy
There are 3 grades of shoyu based on how much of the product is naturally fermented versus chemical:Honjozo
Honjozo is 100% fermented. The best honjozo are produced according to traditional methods.
(soy sauce paste is later diluted to form a liquid)
Kongo-jozo and Kongo
A mix of fermented shoyu mash mixed with chemical or enzymatic hydrolysate of plant protein. Factory produced.
(soy sauce by the truck load)
Soy Sauce Sandwiches
For over 10 years now I've taken the same Tokyo-Toronto flight on a Canadian airline. The menu has been the same for 10 years. There are three meals on the flight. The middle meal is a simple sandwich in a box.The sandwich always comes with a tube of soy sauce. I've never seen anyone use it.
This airline seems to believe that Japanese people put soy sauce on everything. Despite misconceptions like this, there are some pretty wild uses of soy sauce in Japan. Soy sauce potato chips and chocolate top the list.
| Shoyu is ranked | #2 of 24 Ingredients for Japanese Food #3 of 16 Signs Japan is Obsessed With Soybeans |
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