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Hello everyone!

Today we will start to introduce you to Japanese food and culture.

There is a reason for all food, and I think you will enjoy it more when you know about it!


Today we will start with soy sauce.

Soy sauce is a seasoning made by squeezing out “moromi”, a fermented mixture of soya beans and wheat, koji mushrooms and salt water. It is used to flavour many Japanese dishes, such as tofu, sashimi and to add colour and flavour to fish dishes.

Soy sauce 
Types of soy sauce 
There are various types of soy sauce in different regions, with different shades and flavours depending on their ingredients and production methods. Generally speaking, the further north you go in the Japanese archipelago, particularly in the Kanto region, the more salty the flavour is preferred, while the further south, such as Kyushu, the more sweet the taste is preferred. In regions such as the Hokuriku and Tohoku regions, a strong umami-rich Koi taste is also preferred.

Dark soy sauce 
This is the most common type of soy sauce and accounts for about 80% of shipments nationwide. It has an appetising aroma and a clear, bright reddish-green colour.

Light soy sauce 
Light in colour, it is ideal for simmering white vegetables that you don't want to add colour to. The salt content is 10% higher than that of dark soy sauce.

Light soy sauce 
Made mainly from soya beans, this soy sauce has a thick, rich umami flavour and a unique, distinctive aroma. Also known as “sashimi tamari”, it is a soy sauce that enhances sashimi.

Tamari Soy Sauce 
Re-finish Soy Sauce 
This soy sauce is called ‘re-finish’ because it is re-finished using the finished soy sauce instead of the salt water used for the raw material.

It is thicker and richer in colour, taste and aroma.

Re-finish soy sauce 
White soy sauce 
differs from other soy sauces in that it is mainly made from wheat and contains only a small amount of soya beans. Amber-coloured, even lighter than light. It is characterised by its light but strong sweet flavour.

What is soy sauce made from?
The appeal of soy sauce as a seasoning is its colour, taste and aroma. The flavour comes mainly from the protein in soya beans, while the aroma comes from the starch in wheat, both of which are produced by the action of micro-organisms. The colour comes from a combination of amino acids from the protein and glucose from the starch. Salt regulates the action of micro-organisms such as yeast, lactic acid bacteria and yeast. All the ingredients interact with each other and ferment and mature slowly over time to produce soy sauce.

The main ingredients are soya beans (soya beans processed without fat), wheat and salt. 

Soya beans and soya beans processed without fat 
The main component protein of soya beans is broken down by the protein degrading enzyme (protease) of koji mold to produce amino acids, the umami component of soy sauce. Skimmed soybeans are soybeans from which the protein necessary for the production of soy sauce has been retained and the less necessary fat content has been removed in advance.

Wheat 
Starch, the main ingredient of wheat, is converted into glucose by the enzyme (amylase) of koji mold, which gives it its flavour and richness. Furthermore, the glucose is converted by lactic acid bacteria into organic acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid, which soften the salty taste and enhance the flavour of the soy sauce. Some of the glucose is converted into alcohol by the yeast, which enhances the aroma.

Salt 
Salt is added to water during the preparation stage and is the source of the salty taste. It also plays an important role in slowing down useful microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast.

How was it?

Today you want to enjoy Japanese food, don't you?

We look forward to seeing you again next time.

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