saltier in taste and thinner in texture, with a reddish brown colour. Its main purpose is to give the taste of saltiness. The dark soy sauce is red-brown in colour and is less salty by comparison. It has a higher viscosity and more concentrated flavour. It is often used to give deeper colour to the food. For soy sauce lovers who are addicted to the flavour of fermented bean produce, darker soy sauce is often the only soy sauce they use in the kitchen.
Naturally fermented soy sauce has a colour that falls somewhere between that of the light and dark soy sauce. In the mind of Chinese, it is the aroma from the esters and the sweet yet savoury taste of umami that are synonymous with soy sauce. The sauce enriches the flavour of the dish by imparting the taste of umami from the high glutamate acids it contains. With the presence of amino acids and sugars in the sauce, adding a teaspoon of the sauce to stir-fry rice instantly enlivens the dish with aroma, colour, and tastes. Even though the soy sauce contains sodium and gives saltiness to the dish, it is not a substitute for salt. The ideal time to add the sauce in cooking is towards the end of the cooking process. The soy sauce is not suitable for long periods of high-heat cooking. High heat cooking can negatively affect the nutrients it contains, such as B vitamins, and it will lose the freshness of the umamic taste. The sweetness of the sauce will turn a bit bitter, and it will taste more acidic.
Buying tips for soy sauce: There have been various cases of contamination associated with soy sauce in recent years. Before shopping, we need to identify reputable soy sauce manufacturers first. Read the label on the bottle carefully as with the purchase of other condiments. The label should provide the mandatory information such as ingredients, production method and the expiry date. Go for the preservative-free one that should have instructions on the label to store the bottle in the fridge after opening.
The naturally fermented soy sauce made of natural ingredients that follows the traditional method of production is in a league of its own. There are a few Taiwanese brands of naturally fermented soy sauce using black beans and following the traditional fermentation process. They are sold with a price premium and can be found in high-end shops in China.
There are different tests to confirm the quality of this variety of soy sauce. One of them is to tilt the bottle to observe the liquid and shake it to observe bubbles. The liquid should be clear. The bubbles should be fine and long lasting.
Vinegar
The ancient scripts that mention the word “vinegar” can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty more than three thousand years ago. Most of the vinegars have been made from single or multiple grains such as glutinous rice, sorghum, wheat, and millets. The brewing process requires an alcohol base from the grain or grains of choice. The alcohol base is then fermented with Chhu. The final product is the acidic liquid we know as vinegar.
The variety of vinegar we see in the UK is labelled according to the alcohol base used. For example, cider vinegar is made from the alcohol base of fermented apple juice called cider. We do not label it as apple vinegar. Sherry vinegar is made using sherry as the alcohol base; we do not label it as grape vinegar. The Chinese vinegar can be labelled in different ways. It can be according to the grain or grains used. The vinegar made from the fermented rice wine is sold as rice vinegar. Or the vinegar is known by the name of the geographical area it comes from and the grain or grains used. One can also find the common cooking vinegar labelled by its colour and sold as white (transparent) and black vinegar.
Vinegar has a long standing in the history of traditional Chinese medicine. Its medicinal property was recognised for treating skin diseases and common colds and coughs in the dietary therapy. 24 In recent years, the
Naturally fermented soy sauce has a colour that falls somewhere between that of the light and dark soy sauce. In the mind of Chinese, it is the aroma from the esters and the sweet yet savoury taste of umami that are synonymous with soy sauce. The sauce enriches the flavour of the dish by imparting the taste of umami from the high glutamate acids it contains. With the presence of amino acids and sugars in the sauce, adding a teaspoon of the sauce to stir-fry rice instantly enlivens the dish with aroma, colour, and tastes. Even though the soy sauce contains sodium and gives saltiness to the dish, it is not a substitute for salt. The ideal time to add the sauce in cooking is towards the end of the cooking process. The soy sauce is not suitable for long periods of high-heat cooking. High heat cooking can negatively affect the nutrients it contains, such as B vitamins, and it will lose the freshness of the umamic taste. The sweetness of the sauce will turn a bit bitter, and it will taste more acidic.
Buying tips for soy sauce: There have been various cases of contamination associated with soy sauce in recent years. Before shopping, we need to identify reputable soy sauce manufacturers first. Read the label on the bottle carefully as with the purchase of other condiments. The label should provide the mandatory information such as ingredients, production method and the expiry date. Go for the preservative-free one that should have instructions on the label to store the bottle in the fridge after opening.
The naturally fermented soy sauce made of natural ingredients that follows the traditional method of production is in a league of its own. There are a few Taiwanese brands of naturally fermented soy sauce using black beans and following the traditional fermentation process. They are sold with a price premium and can be found in high-end shops in China.
There are different tests to confirm the quality of this variety of soy sauce. One of them is to tilt the bottle to observe the liquid and shake it to observe bubbles. The liquid should be clear. The bubbles should be fine and long lasting.
Vinegar
The ancient scripts that mention the word “vinegar” can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty more than three thousand years ago. Most of the vinegars have been made from single or multiple grains such as glutinous rice, sorghum, wheat, and millets. The brewing process requires an alcohol base from the grain or grains of choice. The alcohol base is then fermented with Chhu. The final product is the acidic liquid we know as vinegar.
The variety of vinegar we see in the UK is labelled according to the alcohol base used. For example, cider vinegar is made from the alcohol base of fermented apple juice called cider. We do not label it as apple vinegar. Sherry vinegar is made using sherry as the alcohol base; we do not label it as grape vinegar. The Chinese vinegar can be labelled in different ways. It can be according to the grain or grains used. The vinegar made from the fermented rice wine is sold as rice vinegar. Or the vinegar is known by the name of the geographical area it comes from and the grain or grains used. One can also find the common cooking vinegar labelled by its colour and sold as white (transparent) and black vinegar.
Vinegar has a long standing in the history of traditional Chinese medicine. Its medicinal property was recognised for treating skin diseases and common colds and coughs in the dietary therapy. 24 In recent years, the
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