Called “shoyu” (醤油）in Japan, soy sauce is a fermented mixture of soy beans, wheat, salt and yeast. If you’re at all curious about how soy sauce is traditionally made, watch the “Salt” episode of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat on Netflix.
There are endless varieties of soy sauce as most East Asian cuisines use this ingredient. Picking the “right one” in the store may seem daunting.
If you’re shopping at a major grocery chain (Safeway, Kroeger, etc.):
Look for regular Yamasa or Kikkoman soy sauce. I try to stick to Japanese brands for Japanese cooking, but La Choy and other brands will do if your options are limited.
If you’re looking for something a little more gourmet:
My absolute favorite is Mataichi shoyu from Fukui prefecture. My dad’s family have lived in Fukui for centuries, and it’s the soy sauce I grew up with. If you don’t have a Fukui-based soy sauce supplier in the form of my grandmother, there are also great options in Asian markets.
Just look for soy sauces that have been aged for 2 or more years and says “brewed” or “traditionally brewed” on the label.
Note:
Sodium levels vary across soy sauces. In any of my recipes, don’t think of the soy sauce amount in the recipe as a hard and fast rule, but take it as a suggestion. Start with a smaller amount and build up to the level of saltiness you prefer.
