Where is soy sauce used? How to choose soy sauce

I have long found my “champion” among universal gas stations, and since that time the treasured glass container has always been on the kitchen shelf.

The scope of soy sauce - namely, it is in question - is so wide that I manage to add it to almost every dish I create. It has already become a tradition in my family to put it on the table every time we sit down to eat, and on country trips it becomes our constant companion.

A bit of culinary history

It turns out that this product has a long history, measured not even by hundreds, but by thousands of years. It was then that the Chinese monks, who refused to consume dairy products due to religious beliefs, were forced to look for an adequate replacement for them. And imagine, they succeeded, and how! The result of culinary experiments was tofu cheese and, of course, a recipe for soy sauce.

A little later, the practical Japanese adopted the technology of their neighbors, and later improved it. Thus, by the heyday of the Iyasu Tokugawa dynasty (circa 17th-19th century BC), this wonderful dressing already tasted about the same as the one that adorns our tables today. And its most skillful manufacturers lived in the area of ​​​​now Osaka - their sauces were known far beyond the borders of their homeland.

And for the penetration of this product into the kitchens of European housewives, we must say “Thank you!” Dutch sailors, who from 1668 began to export soy sauce from Nagasaki. Apparently, they were so struck by its piquant, slightly salty taste that they even figured out how to transport it so that it does not lose its wonderful properties. You understand, there were no refrigerators at that time, and they had to do the almost impossible so that the valuable qualities of this product would not be lost somewhere in the expanses of the seas and oceans on the way to Europe.

What are the benefits of soy sauce?

According to what I found as a result of my research, this gas station is practically a Klondike for everyone who cares about their health. The list of positive qualities and recommendations for use is so long that I just don’t know where to start. And yet I will try to put in order the blockages of information in my head and systematize them - for you and for myself.

• It is amazing, but true: this seasoning is able to slow down the inexorable course of our biological clock and do the almost impossible - slow down the aging process.
• But on the circulatory system, it acts exactly the opposite: the constant use of soy sauce in food stimulates the blood circulation process.
• This product will also come in handy for those who care about their appearance and waist size. One hundred grams contains only fifty-five calories, which will undoubtedly be appreciated by fans of proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Now compare the above figures with the calorie content of dressings such as mayonnaise, ketchup, vegetable oil. The results are impressive, aren't they? So, if the figure on the scale deviates from the usual mark, you should not run to the pharmacy for pills, but introduce the use of soy sauce into your daily menu!
• This product is recommended for people recovering from a heart attack, as well as suffering from other heart diseases. Just opt ​​for the low-sodium option.
• The dressing is also ideal for “happy” owners of animal protein allergies. The sauce is in no way inferior to meat in terms of the amount of proteins.
• It has a beneficial effect on sleep problems and headaches. and note: again, no chemicals and drugs.
• This soy product will also help those for whom edema is a common phenomenon. Perhaps this is due to the high content of gluatomines, which will allow you to easily give up excessive salt intake.
• Soy sauce is able to reduce the amount of free radicals, so it is a good tool for the prevention of cancer.

This list can be extended for another dozen points, but we will not delve into unnecessary details. Who wants to - he will certainly find additional information on the network. I think all of the above is already enough to run to the store or start looking for homemade soy sauce recipes on the net (yes, yes, and this is also possible!).

A small fly in the ointment: harm to soy sauce

As in any product, I simply cannot do without a few small “buts” - you must admit, it would be alarming if there were not even a minor drawback with such a list of advantages. Therefore, I will say a few words about the dangers of soy sauce - namely, this side of the coin opens up if you use it in large quantities all the time. I don’t know about you, but I decided to reduce his dosage for my family - just a little, just a little.

• Excessive consumption of this dressing can contribute to the formation of kidney stones.
• Soy, from which it consists of sauce, sometimes provokes endocrine diseases, so be careful.
• Girls who are expecting an addition to the family should limit the use of this product in food to avoid possible complications in the development of the fetus.
• And finally, let's remember about allergies - where without it? Like any other food consumed in shock doses, soy sauce can cause allergies.

I repeat that we are talking only about the use of seasoning not limited by common sense. As they say, small doses are medicine, large doses are poison.

What should be remembered when choosing a gas station?

We already know the positive and negative sides, as well as the use of soy sauce, now it's time to move on to the very procedure for buying it. How to choose a quality product and not run into a fake, which, by the way, is on sale in a huge amount?

Many buyers (and I, including myself, I confess) at the sight of a low cost of a product even forget to check the expiration date, not to mention checking other important characteristics. But judge for yourself: soy sauce, the fermentation process of which is sometimes calculated for months, cannot cost three kopecks! Therefore, before grabbing the coveted bottle of dark liquid from the counter, pay attention to a few points.

• Do not take this product in the market stall or in questionable places. There, storage conditions leave much to be desired, and the manufacturer is unlikely to be checked.
• Real soy sauce is made from soybeans, wheat, salt, sugar, and sometimes vinegar. All. No chemical additives, no peanuts, anise and everything that dishonest businessmen often sin. The bottle must be marked "naturally fermented".
• By the way, about the capacity: this dressing is stored in glass, and nothing else!
• The color of the liquid should be brown, translucent when holding the container to the light. Any kind of precipitation and turbidity indicate the low quality of the product.
• It is best to store the bottle in the refrigerator - there is just the right temperature for this liquid.

I hope you, like me, have discovered something new for yourself, and in the future you will be more thorough in choosing this gas station.

Homemade Soy Sauce Recipes

For those who want to be sure of the quality, I suggest making homemade soy sauce.

As you know, if you want to do something well, do it yourself. After all, even an expensive product with all the branded “insignia” can be faked, so I offer you a few homemade recipes that, with some diligence and the availability of products, can be reproduced in your own kitchen.

Recipe 1

Real Japanese sauce - for lovers of authentic products.

Ingredients:

• Natural soy sauce - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2/3 cup
• Dessert wine - ½ cup
• Onion - ½ head
• Ginger root - 2 cm
• Anise - 1-2 stars
• Dried orange peel - 15 g.

Cooking:

We mix all the components in one large container and simmer over low heat until a third of the composition has evaporated. We filter our future dressing through several layers of gauze and cool.

And that's all. The main task of the hostess is to buy everything you need, but the benefits of soy sauce according to this recipe are undeniable. Still - the manufacturer is definitely responsible for the quality!

Recipe 2

From portabello mushrooms - for those who love culinary experiments.

Ingredients:

• Portabello mushroom - 1 pc.
• Sea salt - 1 tbsp. l.
• Water - 2 glasses

Cooking:

Mushrooms cut into pieces and put them in a blender, pouring half a glass of water. Beat, then add the remaining liquid. If someone does not like the portabello pieces in the resulting product, it can be strained. The use of soy sauce according to this technology will be similar to the use of a store analogue.

Recipe 3

Variations on a theme - for those who decide to optimize Japanese technology for Russian realities.

Ingredients:

• Soy beans - 100 g
• Broth - 2 tbsp. l.
• Flour - 1 tbsp. l.
• Butter - 2 tbsp. .l

Cooking:

We cook the beans until cooked, grind into gruel and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Bring everything to a boil, stirring constantly.

Recipe 4

Hot sauce for sushi - for those who want it hotter.

Ingredients:

• Onion - 1 small head
• Mayonnaise - 200 g
• Garlic - 1-2 cloves
• Japanese hot pepper Shichimi Togorashi - to taste

Cooking:

Mix all the above ingredients in a blender. Serve in a small bowl in tandem with sushi. Just taste the Japanese pepper before you add it to the sauce - so you determine the optimal amount for yourself.

I hope my long story has not bored you. It’s just that I had to shovel the Internet for so long in search of reliable and stated in normal language information about the benefits of soy sauce, its use and recipes for this product, that I decided to collect all the valuable information in one place.

Now you will at least know where to look for the necessary materials when you need them.

This versatile condiment has become popular in Asian cuisine. Salty, with a sharp characteristic smell, the sauce goes well with almost any dish. What is the uniqueness and benefits of soy dressing and who does not want to abuse it? How to apply the sauce, what treats is it especially suitable for?

What is soy sauce

It is actually elevated to a cult in oriental cuisine. Who would have thought that a dark brown liquid product with a pungent odor would be able to gain popularity almost all over the planet? Proof of this is the natural, original soybean fermentation product of the famous brand kikkoman (Kikkoman), which every connoisseur of a healthy diet knows about.

A mixture of beans and crushed grains, mushrooms of the genus Aspergillus (in some sources they are called "koji mushrooms") has become a true revolution in cooking. Due to its beneficial properties and low calorie content, nutritionists recommend a soy product during diets to normalize digestion and strengthen the cardiovascular system. But is the sauce useful for everyone, what are the contraindications for use?

Soy sauce - benefits and harms

Fans of aromatic dressing do not always think about whether soy sauce is healthy. This question is ambiguous. As with any product, moderation is key. It is known that soy sauce is one of the leaders in the content of amino acids and antioxidants, and can even compete with citrus fruits. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system and the entire body as a whole. But people with diabetes and gastritis need to be careful with the use of this product.

When losing weight

This product is also useful for dieters - it is low-calorie (bju - nutritional value is 50 kcal) and does not contain cholesterol. Soy sauce is often used as a seasoning: they replace salt, harmful seasonings (mayonnaise, ketchup), but the attitude of nutritionists to it is not always unambiguous. Soy sauce with a diet, such as rice, helps a lot: they season rice with it so that the dish is not so bland, and the diet proceeds easier. At the same time, it is still very important to purchase an original, high-quality product that does not contain carcinogens.

Is it possible for pregnant women

In moderation, soy sauce can be consumed during pregnancy. It contains tryptophan, an amino acid that helps produce serotonin. It helps to normalize sleep, reduces irritability. Pregnant women should remember: when replacing mayonnaise, ketchup, give preference to a dressing with a low salt content, otherwise puffiness will appear.

Harm

The main danger that may lie in wait for the consumer when buying a product is a fake. The harm of soy sauce is directly related to the quality of the seasoning. In pursuit of profit, unscrupulous manufacturers produce a health-threatening surrogate not from acid-hydrolyzed soy protein, but with the help of harmful chemicals. In order not to get into a mess and harm your health, buy seasoning only in glass containers. The composition of the product should not contain flavor enhancers, flavorings.

Composition

Many are interested in: what is soy sauce made of? Production: fermentation of soybeans after pressing. The result is a clear liquid without sediment, with a protein content of 6-8%, it can be light or dark, with or without wheat, highly salted or with a reduced content of it. Pasteurization is required after preparation of the seasoning. An open bottle can be stored for about a month, in the refrigerator - about 3.

How to make soy sauce at home

A simplified homemade soy sauce recipe without chemical additives contains two steps: soaking and boiling. For 150 grams of soybeans pre-soaked overnight, take 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of wheat and salt to taste. Boil soybeans for one and a half hours (you can add chicken or vegetable broth to the water for saturation). Then you need to drain the broth and mash the beans (crush with a crush), add the remaining ingredients, boil a little more and the seasoning is ready.

Recipes with soy sauce

The range of ways to use universal seasoning is huge. Dishes with soy sauce have become a real culinary find for many housewives. The sauce will complement the classic cooking recipes, add new colors, bring benefits and make the taste of your favorite dishes even brighter. It is used as a seasoning for light salads, as a base for pickling fish, meat, poultry or vegetables. Check out step by step homemade recipes with photos.

fried shrimp

• Cooking time: 15-20 minutes.
• Servings: 3 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 191 kcal.
• Purpose: for dinner.
• Cuisine: Asian.

The recipe for fried shrimp in soy sauce is useful to every housewife. Although this dish is easy to prepare, its taste does not become less refined. Before serving, the treat can be sprinkled with herbs, pour over with lemon juice, add nuts (peanuts, pistachios). Rice is perfect for a side dish. How to cook step by step? Pay attention to the following recipe with a photo.

Ingredients:

• peeled, pre-thawed shrimp - 500 g;
• onions - 2 medium heads;
• garlic - 4 cloves;
• soy sauce - 4 tbsp. l.;
• honey - 2 tbsp. l.;
• vegetable oil - 4 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the garlic, pass through a press (garlic).
2. Remove the skin of the onion, finely chop into cubes.
3. Fry onion and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes.
4. Dilute honey with 2 tablespoons of warm water, pour over seafood.
5. Add shrimp with honey to the onion with garlic, mix - fry for another 5 minutes.
6. Add the sauce, then simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes.
7. Serve as an appetizer with lemon wedges and herbs. Separately, serve the sauce in a gravy boat.

Marinated meat

• Cooking time: 120 minutes.
• Servings: 3 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 175 kcal.
• Destination: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Chinese.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Meat marinated in soy sauce in the oven is a great way to please your family with a delicious, unbroken dish. Please note - it is very important not to overdry the main ingredient so that the meat does not become tough. To do this, you need to do everything strictly according to the cooking technology. Onions are an essential ingredient of the dish - it gives the meat juiciness and a spicy taste. As a result, you will get a juicy, tasty treat with a pleasant, spicy taste.

Ingredients:

• pork - 500 g;
• onions - 2 pcs.;
• soy sauce - 150 ml;
• bell pepper - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• paprika - 1 tsp;
• fresh ginger, to taste - 20 g;
• black pepper - 10 g;
• vegetable oil - 60 ml;
• sesame - 20 g.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the meat into medium pieces-cubes, discuss with a paper napkin. We rub with spices.
2. We clean the onion, garlic, ginger, wash the pepper. We chop finely.
3. Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a hot deep frying pan. Then add vegetable oil, sauté the onion until golden brown for about a minute. We put Bulgarian pepper, fresh ginger to it and fry for another two minutes.
4. Add the meat, let it brown on all sides, make a fry.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
6. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a greased baking dish. Pour in the soy sauce and mix thoroughly.
7. The treat should be stewed for about an hour in the oven.

wings

• Number of servings: 6 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 193 kcal
• Destination: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Indian.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

An Indian recipe for wings in soy sauce can rival the taste of Buffalo wings. To create a sweet and sour taste, you can add a little honey (or sugar) to the dressing. Chicken wings according to this recipe with a photo are delicious, spicy, juicy, they are good to combine with sour cream or sour milk sauce with herbs and seasonings. You are guaranteed rave reviews from your guests.

Ingredients:

• chicken wings - 1 kg;
• soy sauce - 100 ml;
• lemon - half;
• tomato paste - 4 tbsp. l.;
• garlic - 4 cloves;
• butter - 100 gr.;
• vegetable oil - 4 tbsp. l.;
• dry spices to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Melt the butter in a deep frying pan (in a saucepan or wok), fry a little finely chopped garlic. After that, it must be removed so that the dish does not taste bitter.
2. Rinse the wings, dry with a paper towel. Divide the entire serving into three portions. You need to fry in several approaches.
3. Proceed according to the principle: first pour in the oil, then put in a portion of the wings and fry thoroughly on all sides.
4. When cooked through, mix wings and soy sauce in a large bowl, drizzle with lemon juice, and season with tomato paste.
5. Place the chicken back in the skillet or cast iron skillet and cook until tender (20-30 minutes).

salad

• Cooking time: 10-15 minutes.
• Servings: 2 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 104 kcal.
• Purpose: for breakfast.
• Cuisine: Japanese.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Recipes for salads with soy sauce are varied and numerous. They are great for lovers of fresh vegetables and those who follow the figure. To reduce the number of calories, Greek yogurt is added to the sauce (it can be replaced with regular). Place fried chicken or boiled fillets, vegetables, a hard-boiled egg on a flat, beautiful plate, garnish with fresh parsley leaves - a delicious, vitamin treat is ready to serve.

Ingredients:

• fresh cucumbers - 2 pcs.;
• daikon radish - 1 pc.;
• red sweet apple - 1 pc.;
• Greek yogurt (or kefir) - 50 g;
• soy sauce - 1 tbsp. l.;
• sesame - 10 g;
• parsley leaves for serving - 5 leaves.

Cooking method:

1. Remove skin from radishes. Wash and peel the apple and cucumber.
2. Cucumbers need to be cut into thin slices, grate the radish on a coarse grater, and cut the apple into small cubes.
3. Mix soy sauce with yogurt until smooth.
4. Pour over prepared vegetables, sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with parsley.

Fish in the oven

• Cooking time: 60 minutes.
• Servings: 2 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 128 kcal.
• Purpose: for dinner.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Baked fish in soy sauce is a great dish for lunch or dinner. For cooking, it is advisable to buy a fish with a small amount of bones or fish fillet. You can cook the treat in several ways: first marinate in soy sauce, and then bake with herbs or cook in the oven, watering the famous seasoning. Top the fish with potato wedges or other vegetables of your choice.

Ingredients:

• pollock fillet, defrosted - 600 g;
• white wine (or wine vinegar) - 150 ml;
• salted soy sauce - 100 ml;
• leek - 100 g;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• lemon pepper - a pinch;
• coriander - a pinch;
• basil, fresh leaves for serving - 20 g.

Cooking method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. First, prepare the marinade: mix soy sauce with wine.
3. Cut the onion into thin rings, pass the garlic through the garlic.
4. Disassemble the fish fillet into portioned pieces, rub with spices.
5. Send the fish, onion, garlic to the marinade for 30 minutes. It should completely cover the fillet.
6. Line a baking dish with foil. Place the fish in it and pour over the gravy. Bake until tender about 20-30 minutes.

Vegetables

• Cooking time: 20 minutes.
• Servings: 2 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 104 kcal.
• Purpose: garnish.
• Cuisine: Vietnamese.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Another great way to diversify a vegetarian meal is to cook vegetables in soy sauce. This recipe with a photo can be used to prepare a side dish or main dish. If you like to experiment, then pumpkin seeds or roasted nuts can be added to vegetables - this is the perfect combination of ingredients!

Ingredients:

• carrots - 1 pc.;
• tomato - 1 pc.;
• zucchini - 300 g;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• greens - 1 bunch;
• soy sauce - 4 tbsp. l.;
• vegetable oil for frying - 4 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Wash, dry greens, peel vegetables.
2. Finely chop the tomato, onion, zucchini into cubes.
3. Grate the carrot on a coarse grater.
4. Fry the vegetables for 3 minutes in a pan, stirring constantly.
5. Reduce heat, add soy sauce, herbs. Mix thoroughly and simmer for another minute.

Video

There are two types of natural soy sauce - light and dark. It takes a lot of time to prepare it - from several months for a light sauce to two or three years for a dark sauce. Not only the color, but also the taste of soy sauce, and, accordingly, its use in cooking depends on the exposure and fermentation time.

Dark soy sauce is a product of longer aging, it has a thick consistency, a pronounced, rich aroma, but at the same time it is less salty than a light-colored sauce. Dark sauce is used mainly as a seasoning for meat dishes and for preparing meat marinades. The light sauce has no characteristic aroma, it has a salty taste, a lighter consistency, and this makes it an excellent salad dressing. Its use in cooking is wider than that of a dark sauce - a rich taste and dark color can spoil both the appearance of an already prepared dish and its taste. Each of the two types of soy sauce is good in its own way, and it is advisable to have both sauces at home.

Most often in cooking, soy sauce is used as the basis for the preparation of other well-known sauces.- shrimp, fish, mustard, mushroom. Additives are a variety of spices and spices - ginger, cinnamon, mustard, garlic, anise. Sesame oil, honey, tomato paste, lime and lemon juice, powdered sugar are added to soy sauce. Soy sauce can also act as an independent seasoning to ready meals, for example, at the last moment it is added to chicken or meat cooked in a wok.

What can be cooked with soy sauce? It is used as a marinade for the preparation of chicken fillet, pork or beef pre-cut into small narrow strips. The meat is marinated in soy sauce with wine and spices and then fried with onions, carrots and peppers. Soy sauce is mixed with ketchup, chicken wings or chicken stomachs are marinated in it (they need to be cleaned) and then fried over high heat or stewed with the addition of broth or water. If you add a little honey to dark soy sauce, you get a great marinade for shrimp or salmon.

With the addition of soy sauce, an original dish "Shanghai pork" is prepared. A piece of pork is boiled with spices, then fried over high heat until dark brown and then stewed with soy sauce, sugar and garlic. For cooking duck, there is also a recipe for an unusual sauce. Soy sauce and vodka are added to the dill broth, and duck is boiled in this broth. Soy sauce improves the taste of soups, it is recommended to add it to mushroom and meat soups. Soy sauce will make the taste of the usual cabbage or bell pepper salads more piquant, set off the taste of fish cakes, various types of noodles.

Soy sauce is considered a fully balanced product that combines beneficial properties and excellent taste. Of course, if it is prepared naturally and from natural products. A surrogate product cannot be useful, it contains a minimum of natural ingredients and a maximum of all kinds of chemical additives.

Soy sauce has long been used in cooking in Asian and Eastern countries, and recently it has been rapidly gaining popularity among our consumers. In addition to rich taste and delicate aroma, the product is also characterized by the content of components that are undoubtedly valuable for the body. It contains the lion's share of vitamins, essential elements and antioxidants that speed up metabolic processes and prevent the development of many diseases.

Soy sauce can transform and enhance the taste of any dish, but it must be used correctly for this.

The use of classic soy sauce in cooking

There are two varieties of soy sauce - light and dark, and if you are planning a first acquaintance with this product, we recommend starting with light sauce. Its taste is softer and more pleasant. Light soy sauce is used as a dressing for salads, and also flavored with rice, pasta dishes, or served with meat or fish dishes. When adding soy sauce to familiar dishes, do not forget that it is quite salty and it is not recommended to add salt to dishes when using it or add salt to taste already during the meal.

More saturated and concentrated in taste, dark soy sauce is used for cooking and fish, served with sushi and rolls, and is also used as the basis for creating more complex sauces, such as teriyaki, mushroom, fish or shrimp.

How to make teriyaki sauce?

Ingredients:

• dark soy sauce - 110 ml;
• rice wine - 110 ml;
• - 70 g;
• large garlic clove - 1 pc.;
• ground ginger - 15 g.

Cooking

1. To prepare teriyaki, we grind the garlic peeled and squeezed through a press in a mortar, then mix it with soy sauce, rice wine, ground ginger and honey and heat it in a saucepan over low heat until the latter dissolves.
2. After cooling, use teriyaki sauce as a marinade for cooking baked or fried meat, fish, poultry or seafood. Also, this sauce can be seasoned with salads, as well as added to rice dishes or stewed vegetables.

Applying Teriyaki Soy Sauce to Meat - Recipes

Chicken meat cooked with soy sauce is amazingly tasty. We also recommend cooking Shanghai-style pork - the inimitable taste of the resulting dish will evoke the most pleasant emotions. And where without shrimp, marinated and fried with soy sauce. For spice, add a little garlic and ginger. Below we will analyze these three chic dishes in detail.

Fried chicken fillet with soy sauce and onions

Ingredients:

• chicken fillet (breast) - 540 g;
• soy teriyaki sauce - 80 ml;
• onion - 140 g;

Cooking

1. To prepare the dish, we cut the washed and dried chicken fillet into large sticks or cubes, and the peeled onions into half rings and pour soy sauce for forty minutes.
2. If desired, you can additionally add your favorite spices and spices.
3. Now we spread the chicken with onions in the sauce in a frying pan heated with oil and fry over high heat until the meat is cooked and the onions are soft.

Shanghai style pork with soy sauce

Ingredients:

• pork (pulp) - 720 g;
• soy sauce - 120 ml;
• garlic cloves - 3-4 pieces;
• granulated sugar or honey - 1 tbsp. spoon or to taste;
• seasonings and savory spices - to choose from and to taste;
• odorless vegetable oil - 45 ml.

Cooking

1. To implement the recipe, cut the pork into large pieces and boil them in water with spices for thirty minutes.
2. We spread the dried slices in hot oil and brown them over high heat.
3. Now pour soy sauce into the pan, add sugar or honey, throw in chopped garlic, season the dish to taste with spices and simmer the pork under the lid until soft and cooked, stirring occasionally.

Shrimps with soy sauce, garlic and ginger

Soy sauce appeared in the arsenal of Ukrainian culinary specialists relatively recently. At first, everyone perceived it exclusively as part of the recipe for sushi, a Japanese seafood dish that has been rapidly gaining popularity around the world in recent years. Over time, it turned out that soy sauce also goes well with other fish, meat dishes, side dishes and vegetables. The issue of the quality of soy sauce has become relevant, since it has not been made in the traditional way for a long time.

How to make good soy sauce

Ideally soy sauce is prepared in the following way. Soybeans are evaporated, mixed with roasted wheat grains, then filled with water and salted. The resulting mass is left to wander in the sun in special containers. And this mass reaches the required "condition" in at least one year.

high quality soy sauce in addition to the ingredients mentioned above, it may contain other natural extracts in various combinations, for example, garlic, dill, for a variety of taste. Undoubtedly, this combination of products is not only pleasant to taste, but also very useful. Therefore, it is quite natural that Europeans began to consume soy sauce in huge quantities.

And then the classic laws of the market worked: the high demand for soy sauce stimulated the high ingenuity of manufacturers. The pursuit of profit is often accompanied by a loss of quality. The only safe way to speed up the preparation of soy sauce is to add special microorganisms to the fermenting mass. This gives the sauce a characteristic sweetish aftertaste and speeds up its "ripening" by about 12 times.

Quality soy sauce prices not everyone can afford it: from 3 to 9 dollars per bottle. Much cheaper - 1-2 dollars per bottle - is a sauce prepared in an original way: soybeans are boiled with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, and then quenched with alkali. And it's all. The technology is as simple as five cents, the time spent is scanty. For a month of operation of such a production, it is possible to fill up all markets with cheap soy sauce. And so it happens. It is even easier to dilute soy concentrate with water, bottle it and put it on the shelves. This is just as cheap as the previous method, but at least not dangerous. ABOUT benefits of soy sauce in this case, there can be no question.

How to choose soy sauce

Quality soy sauce can be selected, judging by his bottle. Any quality sauce is sold exclusively in glass bottles. In plastic, the taste and aromatic originality of the product is lost. The composition of soy sauce should contain only natural ingredients, no dyes and flavors. A good sauce has about 8% protein.

Usually decent producers write on the label: "produced on the basis of natural fermentation", because this belongs to the category of product advantages. Those who dilute soy concentrate with water usually just modestly add the word "artificial". But those who like to poison consumers with acids usually do not indicate anything, because it is not in their interests.

IN composition of soy sauce soybeans, wheat, sugar, salt, vinegar should be listed. The presence of additional components (for example, garlic, peanuts) is possible, but in very small quantities. High-quality sauce (even dark) has a pronounced brownish tint, and in the light it looks transparent, cloudy, without sediment. If the soy sauce is light brown in color, then there is no doubt - it is natural. But artificial and produced with acid is usually dark brown right up to black.

The benefits of soy sauce and its uses

Soy sauce- this is the only product of all soy, which is unanimously recommended by nutritionists. Because it does not contain cholesterol, it simultaneously replaces salt, spices, butter, mayonnaise. Soy sauce is low-calorie: only 70 kcal per 100 g. And those who are on a diet should choose soy sauce with a reduced sodium content. Therefore, you need to learn how to distinguish, albeit relatively inexpensive, but good sauce from an obvious and gross fake.

There is evidence that by blocking free radicals soy sauce slows down cell aging human body. Along with antioxidant properties, soy sauce improves blood circulation. There are two main types of soy sauce used in Chinese cooking: light and dark. Dark soy sauce is aged much longer than light soy sauce, which causes it to turn brownish-black and thicker. As the name suggests, a light sauce is noticeably lighter in color and more salty. It is most often used in cooking, as the strong aroma and color of dark sauce can spoil the look and taste of the dish (dark sauce is used in dark dishes, and meat is also marinated in it).

The benefits of soy sauce in its balanced palatability and high content of amino acids. This wonderful product is not only good on its own, it is the base product for making many wonderful homemade sauces from its own base that can decorate absolutely any dish you cook. Using a variety of additives soy sauce based mustard, mushroom, fish, shrimp sauce. By adding anise, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, wine to homemade sauces, you will prepare amazing works of culinary art that have not only a wonderful taste, but also the exclusive benefits of soy sauce. The healing properties of the sauce are used as a sedative for insomnia, headaches, muscle spasms, sprains, swelling, dermatitis.

Interesting facts about soy sauce

The first mention of soybeans appeared about 5 thousand years ago in China. Already in those days, people highly valued soybeans, not without reason that Emperor Ta Teou proclaimed soybean one of the five sacred plants (along with rice, wheat, barley and millet). Soybeans were also known in Japan. Soy arrived in Europe in the early 18th century when the German traveler Engelbert Kaempfer returned from his Japanese expedition. Soy was brought to the New World (USA) only at the beginning of the 19th century, where in a short time soy products became the most popular culinary ingredients. Currently, there are several thousand varieties of soybeans, but this plant is no longer found in the wild. Soybean farming fields cover vast areas around the world, and the amount of money involved in the production and sale of soy products is second only to the oil business.

It has been shown that in Japan soy sauce appeared about 2000 years ago, although it is not known if he was already known in China by that time. Unfortunately, the name of the discoverer of soy sauce will most likely forever remain a secret of history, but the recipe for "natural fermentation" is still considered the standard for making soy sauce.

Interestingly, soy sauce is used instead of salt.. Scientists attribute this to the fact that representatives of eastern peoples are much less likely (30 times!) to suffer from cardiovascular and oncological diseases compared to Europeans and Americans.

According to getway.info, gotovim.ru