Dark soya sauce?

[Amy D.]

This post has just made me want to stock up on different soy sauces to try out. I haven't cooked with dark soy sauce for years because I didn't like the almost bitter molassy aftertaste but tbh that's probably from using an inferior product so I should re-investigate.

 

It's interesting @liuzhou that you say pearl River brand is preferred in china to LKK as in the UK Chinese supermarkets it always used to be the cheaper brand to buy (so the one I always picked up) until more recently years where LKK is now ubiquitous (found in normal supermarkets). Would it be more typical for a Chinese household to have one light soy sauce and one dark or several of each? I ask as for example pearl River sell several different qualities of light soy sauce (silver, gold etc)

[liuzhou]

2 minutes ago, Amy D. said:

Would it be more typical for a Chinese household to have one light soy sauce and one dark or several of each?

 

Most people I know would have one of each, yes. I have seven at the moment, but I'm not normal (or Chinese). Pearl River Bridge is not really considered the best here but generally more so than LKK. In fact, neither are even available in most stores.

[Amy D.]

@liuzhou thank you. As with most good food in any country I'm sure the best stuff doesn't make it out of the country. I'll have to have a proper look to see what else is available here

[Tropicalsenior]

11 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Most people I know would have one of each,

I have three, light, dark, and a cheaper one that I use when I need a large quantity such as a shabu-shabu sauce base that I have had going for about 10 years and my master sauce.

I'm always confused about which one to use when it just says soy sauce in a recipe.

Whenever I am making any dark meat gravy, I always add a touch of dark soy sauce as my finishing salt and to give it a little richer color.

[liuzhou]

21 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

I'm always confused about which one to use when it just says soy sauce in a recipe.

 

Usually, it means light soy sauce. Dark is normally described in full.

 

Yes, as I mentioned, dark soy sauce is mainly used for colour and in small quantities.

Edited September 29, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

20 minutes ago, Amy D. said:

I'm sure the best stuff doesn't make it out of the country.

 

Sure. Much of it is made by small producers who don't get into the export market.

Can you get 海天 (hǎi tiān) brand in the UK. It is the most popular (and the largest soy sauce company) in China? It's not the best but reasonably good at an affordable price.

 

 

 

[weinoo]

If this is the same stuff...

 

 

It sure seems to have more sodium...

 

 

 

Source.  Perhaps there are different configurations for export.

 

 

[Tropicalsenior]

5 minutes ago, weinoo said:

If this is the same stuff...

That's the brand that I can get here right now. All the stores have it right now but it seems to change periodically.

[weinoo]

1 minute ago, Tropicalsenior said:

That's the brand that I can get here right now. All the stores have it right now but it seems to change periodically.

 

They're like the Heinz of Costa Rica!!

[Beebs]

18 hours ago, MaryIsobel said:

Want to make this recipe for Yaki Udon with shrimp tonight. https://www.chilitochoc.com/yaki-udon-with-shrimps/

Neither grocery in town had "dark" soya sauce labelled as such. I struggle when making Japanese or Chinese food that is not too salty for our taste. I searched for this on Egullet and came up with this:  ran out of the dark soya sauce, so I used molasses instead..not much difference in the taste. When reading about dark soya I understand that it is saltier than light or regular soya sauce. The recipe has regular soy sauce and oyster sauce so I am already concerned about the saltiness but molasses just seems wrong. Any suggestions on what to sub for the dark soy sauce? (Liuzhou, I can hear you rolling your eyes!)

 

It's been ages since I've made yakiudon/yakisoba - time to change that! That recipe has A LOT of toasted sesame oil. And I'd use worcestershire sauce instead of rice vinegar & brown sugar. 

 

I have 5 types of soy sauce in my pantry right now. Kimlan brand dark & light/regular, Kimlan soy paste, Kikkoman regular, and LKK seasoned sweet soy. I use Kimlan because that's what my Chinese mom said to use - she's usually right. 

 

 

[Amy D.]

Looks like I can get Haday in light and dark if this is the same brand 

[Deephaven]

2 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

Usually, it means light soy sauce. Dark is normally described in full.

 

Yes, as I mentioned, dark soy sauce is mainly used for colour and in small quantities.

Not in Japanese recipes. Stop applying Chinese broadly to all asian dishes.  In this case it just isn't right.

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, Amy D. said:

Looks like I can get Haday in light and dark if this is the same brand 

 

Yes, same brand. 'Haday' seems to be the name they use for export. In Chinese it's Hai Tian which is less easy to pronounce correctly unless you know how.

[liuzhou]

4 hours ago, dcarch said:

Also, obesity is not a common problem in Asian societies.

 

Obesity is on the rise in China (and SE Asia). Still half as low than in America, though.

 

As discussed here.

 

 

[liuzhou]

2 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Not in Japanese recipes. Stop applying Chinese broadly to all asian dishes.  In this case it just isn't right.

 

I was responding to @Tropicalseniorwho did not specify she wanted it for Japanese food. I know she has difficulty sourcing Asian ingredients where she is and also know she cooks Chinese food from time to time. She did mention しゃぶしゃぶ but also said she has the soy sauce she wants for that.

 

I did say usually it refers to light soy sauce. China does make up around 70% of the population of East Asia, so how they translate it is usual. The problem does not arise in Chinese. Light soy sauce is 生抽 (shēng chōu), whereas dark is 老抽 (lǎo chōu).

Edited September 29, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[Tropicalsenior]

9 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

she cooks Chinese food from time to time

I do indeed cook Chinese food. The Shabu Shabu sauce is one that I use as a dipping sauce for Chinese dumplings. I also have kikoman and tamari in my pantry but I didn't think that they were even pertinent to this discussion.

[Deephaven]

42 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

I was responding to @Tropicalseniorwho did not specify she wanted it for Japanese food. I know she has difficulty sourcing Asian ingredients where she is and also know she cooks Chinese food from time to time. She did mention しゃぶしゃぶ but also said she has the soy sauce she wants for that.

 

I did say usually it refers to light soy sauce. China does make up around 70% of the population of East Asia, so how they translate it is usual. The problem does not arise in Chinese. Light soy sauce is 生抽 (shēng chōu), whereas dark is 老抽 (lǎo chōu).

Then clarify.  Yaki Udon is Japanese....that is the topic 

[MaryIsobel]

4 hours ago, Beebs said:

 

It's been ages since I've made yakiudon/yakisoba - time to change that! That recipe has A LOT of toasted sesame oil. And I'd use worcestershire sauce instead of rice vinegar & brown sugar. 

 

I have 5 types of soy sauce in my pantry right now. Kimlan brand dark & light/regular, Kimlan soy paste, Kikkoman regular, and LKK seasoned sweet soy. I use Kimlan because that's what my Chinese mom said to use - she's usually right. 

 

 

I halved the sesame oil - I just couldn't imagine using the amount called for.