Soy sauce may be one of the most important condiments in Japanese and Asian cooking. It brings a combination of umami, saltiness, and color to dishes. It can also be used as a dipping sauce by itself, or mixed with other components to create a fusion style sauce. It is a truly versatile product.
NA Sales visited the Yamasa Soy Sauce factory in Salem, Oregon over the weekend and got a first hand look at the production process for their soy sauce products. With a focus on quality, there are no shortcuts in the brewing process and no unnecessary ingredients are added. As a matter of fact, it takes a full six months to age a batch of soy sauce! Their koji mold used is a point of pride, and has been cultivated and refined for hundreds of years. This koji is what gives Yamasa soy sauce its unique taste.
Yamasa chose Oregon for its factory since the area is known for its high quality of water. It also has a moderate climate and humidity, which is ideal for producing soy sauce.
But how is soy sauce made in the first place? On the whole it may seem like a simple process, but there are many small details that cannot be put into words. Steamed soy beans and roasted and ground wheat are mixed together with the koji starter. This mixture is left to rest in a hot and humid room for three days in order to create flavor. It is then mixed with a salt water brine to create a moromi mash and left to ferment for six months. From there it is pressed through a cloth to slowly extract the raw soy sauce. All that's left is pasteurization and packaging!
We had a chance to directly taste three varieties of their soy sauce and learn about each of their characteristics.
Called KOIKUCHI SHOYU in Japanese, this is the type of soy sauce you are probably most familiar with. Yamasa's soy sauce has a distinct shimmering red black color and a deep umami flavor. This is the soy sauce that is used most commonly for sushi or sashimi, since it masks any unpleasant fishy aroma and enhances the flavor of the fish.
Less Salt Soy Sauce
The name may say less salt, but don't let that turn you off. This is referred as GENNEN SHOYU in Japanese. Yamasa uses a desalination process that extracts the salt out of the soy sauce without watering down the original flavors. A good choice for those concerned about sodium intake but want to enjoy the full flavor of soy sauce.
(Not to be confused with light soy sauce! Light soy sauce, called USUKUCHI SHOYU in Japanese, actually contains more salt and has a lighter color than regular soy sauce.)
Tamari Soy Sauce
Tamari is a style of soy sauce that uses little or no wheat in the brewing process. Yamasa's tamari does not contain any wheat and is completely gluten free! Even those who are not concerned about gluten allergies can enjoy this unique soy sauce. It has a slightly thicker consistency, a deeper color, and a richer flavor. Although it has the same salt content as the regular soy sauce, the umami components harmonize with the salt to create a balanced soy flavor.
Whatever kind of food you are interested in, soy sauce is a great complement to a variety of dishes. If you feel your cooking is lacking a certain umami, try adding a little bit of Yamasa!
For more information, visit the Yamasa USA website at http://www.yamasausa.com/
