Soy sauce is one of the most common and popular condiments in the world, so common in fact that it’s easy to dismiss the long and rich history that’s attached to the sauce.
Being a staple for many generations within Japan and other Asian countries, soy sauce is consumed on a daily basis around the world, and its unique saltiness and flavour make it a great choice for a number of popular Asian-based dishes.
The process of making soy sauce is long and complicated and can take many months before a batch of soy sauce is available for purchase and consumption. Here we will look at some other interesting facts about this wonderful sauce that’s beloved across the world.
It’s Extremely Popular
Soy sauce is more popular than most people realise, it’s just difficult to quantify that popularity in Western countries due to the fact that it isn’t consumed nearly as much as it is in the east. But within Japan and neighbouring countries, soy sauce sells by the millions every year, making it one of the best-selling condiments of all time.
It’s Extremely Old
Although the process of making soy sauce has changed drastically over the last one hundred years, the recipes have not changed much over the centuries. In fact, many historians believe that soy sauce is thousands of years old, and was enjoyed primarily by the Chinese people living during the Western Han Dynasty. While a specific origin has not been found for soy sauce, most consider it to be around 2200 years old in total, making it one of the very oldest sauces in the world.
Many Varieties
While we’re used to buying a specific brand of soy sauce at the local supermarket, there are actually dozens of different varieties that evolved over the years, and each is different in its own way. Some are thicker, some are made with far less salt, and some contain specific ingredients that highlight a flavour. One of the most popular is a light soy sauce that has a golden-brown colour, but contains a lot of salt, and is primarily used for sushi dishes. Tamari is another kind of soy sauce that is free of gluten and tends to have a taste that’s much more mellow compared to other kinds of sauces.
Packed With Antioxidants
Due to the process in which its made, soy sauce is actually overflowing with antioxidants. In fact, it contains so many, that is has ten times as many antioxidants as can be found in red wine. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that these antioxidants won’t be available in the same quantity has soy sauce is generally only consumed in small portions, such as when having some sushi while playing real money bingo NZ.
It Can Last For Ages
The high salt content of soy sauce means that bacteria generally can’t grow in the sauce, which allows soy sauce to last for many years at a time without going off. This was a large contributor to why soy sauce was developed in the first place many thousands of years ago.
