(Part 2) Best soy sauces according to redditors

• A sharp knife.
  
  

• A rice cooker (depending on the size of your household).
  
  

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  • Makisu.
    
    
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• A good strainer for washing the rice (NO SOAP!).
  
  

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  • Geta (name taken from traditional Japanese sandal).
    
    
    
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  • [Short grain white rice.]
    (http://www.amazon.com/Shirakiku-Sushi-Rice-Japanese-style/dp/B000FJLXHU/)
    
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• Rice wine vinegar.
  
  
  

• Brown rice syrup.
  
  

• Nori.
  
  

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• Soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.
  
  

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• Cucumber, Daikon, or Potatoes to practice this with you sharp knife: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC7EUa-S_qs
  
  

Some of my favorites, off the top of my head:

• La Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp. It's a salty condiment that's ridiculously addictive:

https://www.tastecooking.com/cult-spicy-chile-crisp/

• Chinese sausage have a unique sweet flavor from rice wine or sorghum wine. Slice them into little coins and add to a stir-fry. Many varieties are available (some are all pork and some contain added pork liver or chicken.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_sausage

• Red dragonfruit, if they have them (most dragonfruit are pink on the outside, and boring white on the inside; sometimes you can find ones that are red on the inside, and I like those much better. The market will label them somehow if they're the more expensive red-centered ones.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya

• Pork floss ("pork sung"; this is dried shredded barbecued pork, used as a topping for some comfort foods such as congee. It tastes a bit like bacon, but they have the texture of cotton candy.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rousong

• Japanese curry bricks are a great shortcut to making Japanese-style curry. All you need to add are meat, vegetables, and water. S&B Golden Curry is a good first choice for beginners, but there are many other varieties available.

https://www.sbfoods-worldwide.com/recipes/010.html

• Thai curry paste combined with coconut milk makes Thai-style curry. Many varieties are available; if you're new, I suggest starting with a tiny can of Maesri brand "karee" (yellow curry) flavor, combined with 1 can of coconut milk.

https://importfood.com/products/thai-curry-paste/item/karee-curry-paste

• Koon Chun brand Black and Double Black soy sauce are variations of dark soy sauce with molasses added for extra sweetness and color, but not thickened the way some other compounded soy sauces are. Sometimes I substitute Koon Chun's black soy for dark soy sauce in recipes.

https://www.amazon.ca/Koon-Chun-Double-Black-Sauce/dp/B00012OI0U

• Chinkiang black vinegar (many brands are available) is tangy and is what makes good hot & sour soup brown. It's essential for many Chinese recipes (balsamic vinegar is sometimes used as a substitute.)

https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Plum-Chinkiang-Vinegar-18-6/dp/B00BUIKGU0

• A bag of MSG crystals! You will likely never use all of that one-pound bag but it's something cheap that you can experiment with.

https://www.amazon.ca/Ajinomoto-Monosodium-Glutamate-Umami-Seasoning/dp/B00IH28XDE

• dried shiitake mushrooms. Shiitakes are considered an expensive, exotic item in Western cuisine, but in Asian cuisine they're just the regular mushrooms, and quite affordable if you buy them dried. You have to soak them in hot water (and then trim off the stem) before using them.

https://www.taste.com.au/quick-easy/articles/how-to-prepare-dried-shiitake-mushrooms/8jwnrwwb

• frozen gyoza imported from Japan (Shirakiku and Ajinomoto are the two big Japanese frozen food brands.) Many flavors are available. They're some of my favorite snack foods, though cooking them can be a little bit of a scary experience due to hot oil. Make a basic dumpling sauce by mixing the black soy sauce (above) with a little of the black vinegar (above)!

https://www.amazon.com/Ajinomoto-Chicken-Gyoza-Dumplings-Frozen/dp/B013H9M9YA

https://www.japaneseflavours.com/recipes/16_yaki-gyoza-pan-fried-how-to-cook-frozen-gyoza

...if you prefer chewier dumplings, the store will also have a wide variety of Chinese frozen potstickers (in the northeastern US you may hear them called "Peking Ravioli".) They have a thicker pastry.

For those who must have a recipe:

I took the leftover split breasts and jalapenos after making dove poppers (ran out of bacon and pan space!) and marinated them in korean soy sauce (Guk-ganjang). Regular soy sauce would be great too but I just had this on hand and it's very, very, rich.


When the thin spaghetti noodles (not angel hair!) were nearly finished, I threw the concoction in a non-stick wok and went to town. Once well browned with a fantastic maillard reaction... I added the spaghetti and topped with Kikkoman Spicy Miso sauce.

The cucumbers were dashed with a balsamic glaze and I garnished with a fresh basil leaf.


PS: I'm not asian but I obviously took a lot of inspiration from similar dishes.

i keep soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and soy paste on hand...but the soy paste is becoming increasingly difficult to find locally even here in socal. and it's not like i'm shopping for them in some random ethnic food store...i'm literally looking for them in chinese supermarkets.

but tbh i've been using soy sauce less and less and using sweet soy sauce more and more...it's just so much more versatile in marinades and it's even good as an added flavor to ramen, soups etc.

OP, try trader joes soyaki

my store stopped stocking the sesame garlic marinade a while back. i havent looked back because the soyaki sauce is so much better.

I do! I was born into a family that owned a Thai restaurant, which I took over from age 18 to 27, and I’ve also a total whore for Asian cuisine so I can definitely help with soy sauce suggestions!

So here’s a great tip: you should have at least two different kinds of soy sauce including a light soy sauce and a dark one, with perhaps two or three additional kinds of specialty soy-based seasoning sauces. While that sounds like a lot, generally soy sauce is an inexpensive ingredient, even for more high-quality brands, and a bottle will last you for ages. I’ll give you a few recommendations for each category. As a side note these are Amazon links, but if you have access to an Asian grocery store then I absolutely suggest buying them there instead as you would save at least 50% off the prices.

Light Soy Sauce: this is your workaday soy sauce, the kind you would add savory saltiness to stir-fries or dip your sushi in.

Pearl River Bridge Golden Label Superior Light Soy Sauce - is a great standby favorite of Asian chefs the world over, especially in the seafood palaces of Hong Kong. It’s less jarringly salty than say a Kikkoman, with more complexity. Pearl River Bridge is a really well-respected brand of Asian condiments, generally all of their products will be either good to excellent. Note that they produce two different varieties of light soy sauce, the “Superior” and the “Golden Label” - always go for the Golden Label, it’s just better in every way than the “Superior”.

The second light soy sauce I’d recommend is San-J Tamari - which is made wholly of soybeans without any wheat. While this is good news for anyone with gluten sensitivity issues, the flavor has a more pronounced umami because of it.

Dark Soy Sauce: think of dark soy sauce as a soy balsamic vinegar - it’s a highly-concentrated, almost syrupy sauce that also has a bit of sugar for a hint of sweetness. It is ideal for marinades, salad dressings, glazes, I’ve even used it in desserts!

[Pearl River Bridge Mushroom Flavored Superior Dark Soy Sauce](16.9 oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6A03MU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ImLPDbGVGZ3K0) - is an umami bomb to your tastebuds, rich with portobello mushroom notes and a perfect accompaniment to red meat dishes like wok-seared ribeye with gai lan aka Chinese broccoli.

Healthy Boy Thai Sweet Soy Sauce White Label - as thick as molasses, this sweet soy is essential in traditional Thai noodle dishes like ผัดซีอิ้ว (pad see iew) and is also good when you want to add a little savoriness to sweet recipes. I once made sweet soy brownies with a healthy dollop of this and they were utterly fantastic.

Miscellaneous Soy Sauces: these are usually different varieties of flavored soy sauces from around Asia.

SHIMOUSA PONZU - ponzu is a mixture of soy sauce and yuzu, which is the juice of a Japanese citrus fruit. This bright sauce adds a lemony kick to salad dressings and jazzes up seafood. Try it as a marinade for salmon crudo or as a dipping sauce for your favorite sashimi.

Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce - oh my god do I love this stuff, it tastes like my childhood as my Dad would always cook my favorite meal (pineapple fried rice with shrimp, chicken, veggies and cashews) with this sauce. It’s a soy sauce with a very distinctive tangy kick, and I use it in everything from fried rices, eggs, soups, noodles, stir-frys, you name it. Everyone I have sample this wonderful sauce ends up being addicted!

I skipped over a lot of stuff, like the recent rise in artisanal soy sauces, many of which are even aged in barrels! But I think that this is a good start for someone who wants to explore beyond the disposable packets they get from the takeaway place. Let me know if you have any more questions! (Or if you want a recommendation for fish sauces, because I could literally write monographs on the subject!)

If there's an Asian market around you there should be one! Usually the brands that might be in the shelves are either ABCs or Bango. Taste wise almost all of them (ABC, Bango and Indofood) are kinda the same, you might just need to find one that's according to your taste.

This is what I want. Makes me moist just thinking about it. Might send some to Crash, I heard she really likes soy sauce.

There are many kinds of Hand-pulled noodles. Any noodles made by hand-pulled is hand pulled noodles. in these recipes, you can use any kinds.
My English is not that good. I only know dark soy sauce. I think this is the name in English. maybe it will label as "laochou". try to look for it in an Asian market or amazon (Lee-Kum-Kee is a good brand).

https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Kum-Kee-16-9-Ounce-Frustration/dp/B01BPHCRKM/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1491881993&sr=8-3&keywords=dark+soy+sauce

Yay more things to call yourself! (doesn't enby already kind of mean hybrid?) You should try finding some this soy sauce if you liked soy sauce before this stuff will turn you into an addict! It's got so much more flavor than that salt water they sell at Walfart and it can totally replace the flavor packets in Ramen! Also Amazon sells 25lb bags of rice for like 15 bucks sometimes so keep your eye out for that!

>I usually have a large bottle / jug of Kikkoman for most uses and a bottle of dark soy sauce specifically for cooking.
>
>If you can find the Kikkomanimported from Japan, I feel that is a little better than the US stuff.

There are gluten free soy sauces available at asian supermarkets (or amazon)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079X4S7ZF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yuaYCb8Y653S3

This is the exact one we also had the low sodium one as well.

But imo if you truly wanna step up your game go with tamari it's a more crafted soy sauce made purely from soy beans instead of being made mixed with wheat, steeper price and steeper quality

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GQYXTC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cAaYCbV19CSB0

Maybe a whiskey barrel aged shoyu. I've never had it myself, but other barrel aged products I've had tend to take on alcoholic notes.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018WJL9LY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_OpL0CbSA3JA8T

providing amazon links but go to an asian grocer cause it'll be half the price

"dark soy sauce" is slightly thicker than light and has a sweeter, saltier flavor. you can find it in most stores jsut look for something that says dark soy sauce https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-River-Bridge-Superior-Sauce/dp/B0001EJ4C0/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=dark+soy+sauce&qid=1558822716&s=gateway&sr=8-3

soy paste is even thicker. sometimes called "thick soy sauce" i think https://www.amazon.com/Kimlan-Soy-Paste-20-oz/dp/B003Q3GGGU/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=soy+paste&qid=1558822888&s=gateway&sr=8-4 or https://www.amazon.com/Koon-Chun-Thick-Soy-Sauce/dp/B00012OI14

not sure about the brand. i usually like koon chun or pearl river bridge. maybe try asking someone at the restaurant :)

What exactly didn't you like about how your broth came out?

The recipe looks solid. My two big recommendations I give (through plenty of trial and error) is be sure you blanch and wash the bones thoroughly. Even if it doesn't really affect the flavor, it definitely affects the color, and presentation counts (even if it's just for you).

Beyond that, if you can find it, try using a mix of regular and white soy sauce in your tare. This white shoyu from Takumi is my personal favorite. Besides it also helping keep the broth lighter, it adds a little more complexity to the flavor of your broth.

Do what I do and grill 5x6oz portions of chicken. Cut them up and place into plastic contains on top of a cup of brown rice. Add some steamed veggies and 2 tablespoons of teriyaki glaze. I use this or this. Freeze 3 and have one a day for lunch.

Sometimes I make extra and keep them in the freezer, then I add other stuff like beans and chicken, chicken and marinara with veggies, grilled chicken and veggies, Fajita veggies and chicken, with some mexican rice, chicken chili verde, etc. Eventually you get to a point where you have 20-30 little containers in the freezer and you just make food once a week with tons of choices for later.

It's likely the light soy sauce. Kikkoman light is more wheat than soy.

I prefer this from Kikkoman: https://www.amazon.com/Kikkoman-Organic-Sauce-25-40-Fluid/dp/B013H9XTN0

is this shirojoyu? I've been eyeing it for tare for white broths but it's quite expensive. Are there any other benefits to the white version?

also awesome writeup, thank you!

Try this.

http://www.amazon.com/Bragg-Liquid-Natural-Alternative-32-Ounce/dp/B001EQ4Y4W

even better is a bottle of Bragg's if you can find it anwhere near you. It's got less salt, more flavor and it's health food or something, really it just tastes fantastic. Use any way you would use soy sauce - you're gonna thank me.

I agree. That recipe for the sauce sucks, even with the kenji modifications he makes on reddit later on. It's just not accurate. I buy this now, and even that isn't exactly like you can get on a truck.

Just watching the first scene of him tasting a small amount of soy sauce to drink made my face sour. Kikkoman is salty, but I think I'll try this brand. They sell it on Amazon and there 3 different fl. oz. so there are 3 different prices to consider. None of them sell for $50. The most expensive is $27.00 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Kishibori-Shoyu-Artisinal-Unadulterated-preservatives/dp/B07PS17X8T/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=soysauce&qid=1565980213&s=gateway&sr=8-4&th=1

I enjoy double black soy. This might sound like a johnny walker joke, but it is a thicker soy, with molasses in there as well for some sweetness. for example: http://www.amazon.com/Koon-Chun-Double-Black-Sauce/dp/B00012OI0U

I wasn't telling you to eat those foods or giving them as suggestions, just using them as examples of packaged foods with plenty of sodium. Here are some products that fit your requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

I actually love to put salt on my oatmeal, and a cup of oatmeal is only 300 calories, so you'd only be putting 1/4 tsp in (450 mg sodium). I don't measure, but I think I do that just because I love the way it tastes.

I also add at least 1/4 tsp (probably more) of salt to a cup of rice, which is only 200 calories. A cup of broccoli is 60 calories and has 60 mg of sodium, and I could easily add 1/4 tsp to that too, passing 500 mg of sodium in just 60 calories! All other veggies would be similar to that.

I made vegan, gluten-free, bean-free broccoli-cheese soup recently that was about 450 calories and over 2,300 mg of sodium. I could have eaten it with a cup of rice and hit 3,600 mg of sodium in just 650 calories. Then I could have had a baked potato and easily surpassed 4,000 mg of sodium in just 800 calories... and I'm not even trying, that's just how I eat normally. I like salt. Seriously, its not hard.

Gluten free soy sauce, right at your front door.