Soy sauce

[Johnathan]

A friend of mine recently told me that Kikkoman soy sauce is "terrible". Is there something I should know? Have I been eating the Old El Paso of soy sauces my entire life?

 

[thewallychamp]

I've just recently been sushi binging - and when a friend ordered some to my house but we ran out of soy sauce i found a bottle of Kikko in a cupboard.

I got to say when I tasted it I had to check for an expiration date (which there wasn't)

I'm going to venture and say its shite.. don't know of any good ones though.

 

[Roikins]

Originally Posted by Johnathan

A friend of mine recently told me that Kikkoman soy sauce is "terrible". Is there something I should know? Have I been eating the Old El Paso of soy sauces my entire life?
"**** Kikkoman."

I like Yamasa better, and I'm not saying that just because I know the son of the owner. Okay, I am only saying it because of that. In reality, it's fermented soy, so there are different ways and tastes to each sauce, like any fermented beverage we enjoy. There are "microbrew" versions, but the key is finding one that works well with what you're going to eat, sort of like different scotches or gins, or one that goes with your palate. There are some that are more salty and some that are more sweet, and others that are pungent. They also can have different textures, I remember seeing one that was thick, like an aged balsamic vinegar.

 

[Johnathan]

Originally Posted by Roikins

"**** Kikkoman."

I like Yamasa better, and I'm not saying that just because I know the son of the owner. Okay, I am only saying it because of that. In reality, it's fermented soy, so there are different ways and tastes to each sauce, like any fermented beverage we enjoy. There are "microbrew" versions, but the key is finding one that works well with what you're going to eat, sort of like different scotches or gins, or one that goes with your palate. There are some that are more salty and some that are more sweet, and others that are pungent. They also can have different textures, I remember seeing one that was thick, like an aged balsamic vinegar.
Send me a free bottle and show me the light.

 

[kwilkinson]

Once the sun comes out for an extended period of time (read: May) I'll be making my own soy sauce.

 

[retronotmetro]

I think the big majority of soy sauce consumed in Japan is koikuchi style shoyu, and the Kikkoman brewed in the US is pretty close in taste to the standard Japanese Kikkoman koikuchi. For most table/cooking use, Kikkoman is fine.

There are many styles of soy sauces, but a lot of them can be substituted for most uses. We use mostly San-J tamari soy sauce at my house due to wheat allergies, and I don't find the taste to be terribly different from koikuchi. On the other hand, I would not cook Hawaiian dishes with anything other than Aloha, nor would I be able to substitute tamari for Chinese dark soy sauce in something like Hainanese chicken rice.

 

[wetnose]

If you thought Kikkoman was bad, don't *ever* try La Choy...basically inedible.

 

[tor]

I just use Memmi instead of soy sauce. I think it's technically a kind of soy sauce, but it's more of a soup base kind of sauce. Just remember to mix it with water if you're going to use it; it's really salty when it's not watered down. It's also made by Kikkoman.

 

[kwilkinson]

White Shoyu

 

[Roikins]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Once the sun comes out for an extended period of time (read: May) I'll be making my own soy sauce.

May? This is CA, son!

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Roikins

May? This is CA, son!

I haven't yet spent a winter here, but from what I hear, you don't get very many two week long stretches of pure sunlight during the winter up here in NorCal.

 

[Piobaire]

We generally use Kikkoman shoyu but keep some Aloha for various things, like huli huli chicken.

 

[Dragon]

The Kikkokoman widely available is not really a good soy sauce, but it is used a lot even in Japanese households. The major brands like Kikkoman, Yamasa, etc. make various types of soy sauce. Usually the higher the price, the more natural it is, or they use better soy beans. Like sake, there are many micro breweries that come out with high quality soy sauce at a higher price.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by wetnose

If you thought Kikkoman was bad, don't *ever* try La Choy...basically inedible.

+1

 

[LabelKing]

Good soy sauces shouldn't have chemical compounds in the list of ingredients.