Soy and Fish; a saucy combination (and where we go from here)

I have been told and I absolutely believe it, that I have a hard time focusing on one thing.  I am also dyslexic with phrases, saying things like "check my cash" instead of "cash my check."  Put these 2 things together with a blog and On My!  :)  There is so much to share and talk about I feel like I just don't have enough time to pull it all together.  My life feels like that a lot of the time as well. Let's just call me eclectic So, with this in mind, today and tomorrow is about the differences in Soy and Fish sauces.  Then we will jump to different countries, taking turns between Asia, Russia and North and Eastern Europe.  Remember the idea is not to make you expert chefs with step-by-step recipes, but rather give you all of the beginning steps needed to become a wonderful Unchef with your own style.  So hang on, here we go again!  :)

Most people know that soy sauce is used in Asian cuisine and that it is salty.  Beyond that there is so much more.  Soy sauce is made from soy beans and wheat, although some styles have less or no wheat at all.  Soy sauce comes in different colors and from different countries.  Here is a quick breakdown:

Japan (Shoyu) - Soy Sauce from Japan is usually thinner, lighter and sweeter than soy sauce from China.

• Dark Soy sauce - Dark Japanese soy sauces have a deeper color. A good all-purpose choice, they are best used in marinades and basting sauces, but are perfectly acceptable for dipping or stir-fries as well.  They also tend to be less salty.
• Light Soy sauce - These are lighter and thinner than their darker, richer counterparts, but have a more assertive, salty flavor and a slight sweetness from the addition of mirin, a sweet rice wine.  People will use them instead of the dark soy sauce so as not to effect the color of the food, but you need to use less because it is more intense.
• Tamari - is a soy sauce that is somewhat more like Chinese soy sauce.  It has a stronger flavor and is ideally used as a dipping sauce.
• Saishikomi, or "twice-brewed" soy sauce, has a stronger flavor than tamari.  
• Shiro - This is called a white soy sauce, It has a lighter color and flavor. It's typically used as a dipping sauce for sashimi (sliced, usually raw, seafood) made with mild, white-fleshed fish where a darker sauce would overpower and discolor the delicate slices.

China -

• Light (Fresh, pure bean, thin)  - These soy sauces are meant to enhance flavors when cooking. It's by far the most common cooking sauce in Chinese cuisine. If a Chinese recipe calls for "soy sauce" and nothing else, you can assume it means light soy sauce. Double-fermented light sauces, which have a mellower, more complex flavor are also available and used primarily for dipping.
• Dark and Double Dark - These are thicker in texture than light and darker (of course), but like the Japanese counter-parts, they are less salty.  They also often have added sugar or molasses, giving them a sweet-salty flavor and viscous texture. They are used solely for cooking, often added at the last stages to season and add color to sauces.

Many other Asian countries have there own variety of soy sauces, but you cannot always find them easily here in the US, even at Asian Markets.  One that is easier to find is Indonesian (Kecap manis). It's a sweet soy sauce native to Indonesia made with fermented soy beans and flavored with palm sugar, star anise, galangal and other aromatics.  Another that many like is from Hawaii and called appropriately "Aloha."  It is a slightly sweeter and thicker soy sauce.

When to use it here in your cooking?  Well, try mixing it withWorcester sauce (if you buy Maggi, it tastes a little like that) for a new flavor for you meat dishes, or add it to rice and/or noodles for that Asian flavor that is worth getting to know without taking a huge risk.  Not crazy about soy sauce, take a couple of chances with it by trying different brands and go totally of the grid if you want.  If you are a creamy sort of person, add it to some sour cream, or add it to your cream of tomato soup.  It is time that soy sauce came of the back of the table at the Chinese buffet and into your home in a new way.