There are some downsides to using this method that you should be aware of. Firstly, if you aren’t careful, you could wind up burning the sauce.

It really comes down to how dedicated you are and if you think it sounds fun to try to make soy sauce. Getting the steps right isn’t necessarily that tough, but you do need to pay attention. Despite a large variety of volatile and odorant compounds that have been identified in soy sauce, the food product per se does not present a strong aroma. Alcohols, acids, esters, aldehydes, ketones, phenols, heterocyclic compounds, alkynes and benzenes have been identified in Chinese soy sauces. [36] An explanation for this observation is that the aroma of soy sauce does not depend largely on the aroma-active compounds. The subtle aroma is a result of a "critical balance" achieved among all volatile and odorant compounds, whose respective concentrations are relatively low.

Remove the vegetables from the pan, and set aside, then add a little more vegetable oil to the pan, and turn the heat to high. Depending on the length of aging, hansik ganjang can be divided into three main varieties: clear, middle, and dark. Finding a good recipe is important and you’re also going to need to have everything that you need. This means that researching the topic ahead of time is a good idea. Shanghai cuisine, part of the larger Jiangsu culinary tradition, is known for its delicate flavors and emphasis on freshness. The primary fermentation of lactic-acid-fermenting halophiles lowers the pH of the moromi, and this directly results in the acidic pH range (4.4–5.4) of soy sauce products. The secondary fermentation conducted by heterofermentative microbes provides soy sauce with a wide range of flavor and odorant compounds by breaking down macronutrients. Soy proteins and grain proteins are hydrolyzed into short peptide chains and free amino acids, which adds umami to the product. Based on the result of free amino acid analysis, the most abundant amino acids in Chinese soy sauce product are glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine and leucine. [39]

Note: for authentic Chinese flavor, use Chinese soy sauce such as Lee Kum Kee. Others, such as Japanese soy sauce, have a different flavor. You do need to be careful to get the ratio right, so you do not sweeten the soy sauce too much and it takes away from the core flavors. Kurlansky, Mark (2002). Salt: A world history. New York: Walker and Co. p.20. ISBN 978-0-8027-1373-5. Hansik ganjang ( 한식간장, 'Korean-style soy sauce') is made entirely of fermented soybean ( meju) and brine. It is a byproduct of doenjang (fermented soybean paste) production, and has a unique fermented soybean flavour. Both lighter in colour and saltier than other Korean ganjang varieties, hansik ganjang is used mainly in guk (soup) and namul (seasoned vegetable dish) in modern Korean cuisine. [59] Common names for hansik ganjang include jaeraesik ganjang ( 재래식 간장, "traditional soy sauce"), Joseon-ganjang ( 조선간장, " Joseon soy sauce"), and guk-ganjang ( 국간장, "soup soy sauce"). The homebrewed variety is also called jip-ganjang ( 집간장, "home soy sauce"). Blended soy sauce ( 혼합간장) – Also called mixed soy sauce, blended soy sauce can be made by blending hansik-ganjang (Korean-style soy sauce) or yangjo-ganjang (brewed soy sauce) with acid-hydrolyzed soy sauce or enzyme-hydrolyzed soy sauce.The earliest soy sauce brewing in Korea seems to have begun in the era of the Three Kingdoms [17] The Records of the Three Kingdoms, a Chinese historical text written and published in the 3rd century, mentions that " Goguryeo people are good at brewing and fermenting", in the section named Dongyi (Eastern foreigners), in the Book of Wei. [18] [19] Jangdoks used for soy sauce brewing are found in the mural paintings of Anak Tomb No. 3 from the 4th century Goguryeo. [20] High-salt liquid-state fermentation (HLF) of soybeans depends heavily on microbial activity, metabolism and enzymatic hydrolysis of macronutrients. Most traditional approaches fall into the scope of HLF. [35] Brewed soy sauce ( 양조간장, yangjo-ganjang) – made by fermenting soybean, soybean meal, or other grains with saline solution. Wilson, Kathy (2010). Biotechnology and genetic engineering. New York: Facts on File. p.90. ISBN 978-0-8160-7784-7. Shuāng huáng ( 雙 璜): A light soy sauce that is double-fermented by using the light soy sauce from another batch to take the place of brine for a second brewing. This adds further complexity to the flavor of the light soy sauce. Due to its complex flavor this soy sauce is used primarily for dipping.