The History Of Soy Sauce

While the Chinese have relied on soy beans as a healthy and inexpensive source of protein for at least 5,000 years, the invention of soy sauce may be traced back to the Zhou dynasty about 2,000 years ago. The original salty paste evolved into liquid shoyu (the Japanese word for soy sauce) and miso.

Soy sauce is made from soybeans that are mixed with roasted grain (usually wheat, rice, or barley), water and salt, and fermented for several months. Once the aging process is complete the mixture is strained and bottled. The two basic types of soy sauce used in Chinese cooking are light and dark. Aged for a longer period of time, dark soy sauce is thicker and blacker in color due to its caramelized sugars and further refined to give a shiny color tone. Though light soy has a lighter color, it has a fuller soy aroma.

Soy Sauce In The Kitchen

Soy sauce is a basic and indispensable ingredient in Oriental dishes such as tofu, braised chicken, steam fish and stir-fried dishes. It can serve as a base for other herb sauces, such as teriyaki sauce and marinade, and its versatility lends it to fusion food recipes. Soy sauce is made from soy beans, wheat flour and salt, which makes it appropriate for vegetarian dishes.

Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce

Essentially, soy sauce is the result of brewing soy beans in a brine solution. As with other brewing processes such as making wine or vinegar, this is a natural biochemical process involving the appropriate species of microbes and their enzymes.

The brewing process for soy sauce converts complex proteins in soy beans into simpler proteins called amino acids and over 200 different volatile substances, to get the unique flavor and characteristic aroma of soy sauce. The resulting brew is put through a multiple-stage extraction, and the first extraction yields soy sauce of the highest quality. Naturally brewed soy sauce can take up to 6 months to mature. To reduce costs and bypass this lengthy process, many soy sauce manufacturers have turned to hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP).

Synthetic Soy Sauce

Also known as non-brewed soy sauce, HVP is synthetically produced through a hydrolyzed reaction using hydrochloric acid in a process that takes only a few days. Corn syrup, caramel coloring, salt and water are then added to produce a metallic tasting synthetic soy sauce that lacks the savory flavor of naturally brewed soy sauce. In some cases, brewed soy sauce is adulterated with HVP.

The danger is that HVP contains 3MCPD, a chemical contaminant and suspected carcinogenic substance. The United Kingdom and other European Union member countries have already banned a number of soy sauce brands which were found to contain 3MCPD.

Picking A Quality Soy Sauce

Though soy sauce is highly nutritious due to its high protein content, its flavor-enhancing function has gained greater prominence in modern society.

Whilst countries such as China and Japan have implemented their own taste classifications, to date there is no universally accepted grading system for soy sauce. Soy sauces are generally graded according to some collective parameters such as total protein or amino acid content.

However there are 17 different types of amino acids in soy sauce, each with distinct properties. For instance some amino acids are taste enhancing (such as the naturally forming glutamic acid and aspartic acid), others are sweet (such as alamine acid and glycerine acid), and yet others bitter (such as histidine acid and arginine acid). Therefore the total amino acid content or the protein content alone does not really tell us anything about its taste or quality.

Ultimately, the quality of a soy sauce can only be evaluated the old fashioned way - through taste, sight and smell.

Pat Chun's Range Of 100% Naturally Brewed Soy Sauces

Pat Chun Soy Sauce Supreme - Using only the finest soy beans and wheat flour, Pat Chun's traditional brewing method produces a first-press soy sauce which is further concentrated to enhance its flavor. Because Pat Chun Soy Sauce Supreme contains 60% more taste proteins than the average soy sauce, it greatly enhances the taste of food.

Pat Chun Gourmet Light Soy Sauce - Lighter in color than dark soy sauce, but with a fuller soy bean aroma, Pat Chun Gourmet Light Soy Sauce is a first press soy sauce naturally brewed from top quality soy beans and wheat flour. Its delicate flavor and aroma makes it an ideal sauce for marinating, cooking and dipping.

Pat Chun Gourmet Dark Soy Sauce - Pat Chun Gourmet Dark Soy Sauce is aged for a longer period than light soy sauce, the caramelized sugars in the sauce result in a dark brown color and further refinement gives its rich, shiny texture. Often used to marinate meats, this sauce enhances the appearance of dishes by lending a red-cooked, brown appearance to braised dishes.

Pat Chun Premium Light Soy Sauce - Traditionally brewed from quality soy beans and wheat flour, Pat Chun Premium Light Soy Sauce brings out the flavors in food including stir-frying and as a seasoning for light, clear soups.

Pat Chun Seafood Sauce - A rich sauce reduced from a blend of the finest soy sauce and nourishing Chinese herbs and spices. Enjoy with fresh steamed seafood to savor the full intensity of this full-flavored sauce.

Pat Chun Chili Soy Sauce - The essence of ripe chili is perfectly balanced with Pat Chun's quality soy sauce to spice up stir-fries, hot pot food and steamed seafood.

Pat Chun Braising Sauce - Using a traditional family recipe, prime soy sauce is infused with garlic, ginger and spices to create Pat Chun Braising Sauce. Simmer with beef, poultry, pork, eggs or bean curd over very low heat to make delicious wholesome stews.

Pat Chun Kecap Manis (Chicken Rice Soy Sauce) - Quality soy sauce is refined using "gula malaka" or palm sugar, to produce an thick, sweet soy sauce with a delightful tropical flavor. Pat Chun Kecap Manis is the perfect accompaniment to chicken rice, and is also used in various Indonesian dishes, as a dip, in marinades, and to substitute for dark soy sauce.

About Pat Chun

Established in 1932, Pat Chun recently celebrated its 70th anniversary and remains the premier manufacturer of brewed oriental sauces and condiments. Combining traditional brewing methods with state-of-the-art technologies to bring out the best in Pat Chun's generations-old recipes, our sauces retain the wholesome goodness and superior flavor of the basic ingredients. 100% owned by the Ng family, management of the company has now passed on to the third generation. Pat Chun's range of over 50 products includes its signature sweetened vinegar, the Thousand Autumns premier brand, specialty vinegar products, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce and Worchester sauce. Our products are available in Hong Kong (with four specialty stores), China, throughout Asia, Australia, Canada, the United States of America and Europe.

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