Soy sauce originated 2,000 years ago in ancient China as a way to stretch salt, then an expensive commodity. After making its way to Japan in the seventh century, it eventually spread throughout the world.
From the funky and papaya-like flavors of see ew khao in Thai cuisine to the earthy and sharp toyo common in Filipino food, flavors and aroma vary greatly from one style of soy sauce to another and stretch far beyond that of Kikkoman, the top-selling brand in the United States. The chart at right highlights the incredible range of flavors, aromas, and textures in different styles of soy sauce.
How Soy Sauce Is Made
Chinese soy sauce was originally made with soybeans only. The Japanese method added wheat, which sped up the fermentation process and lent a touch of subtle sweetness that has become part of the characteristic flavor profile of soy sauce. These days most soy sauces contain wheat.
Almost all the soy sauces we tasted are naturally brewed, a process (“qu” in Chinese; “koji” in Japanese). Most manufacturers let the resulting mash ferment in stainless steel tanks for a period of several weeks to a year before bottling. Some small-batch sauces develop unique regional flavors through multiple years of manual churning in traditionally made barrels, says Christopher St. Cavish, a Shanghai-based culinary consultant.
