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Glossário Culinário

Shoyu (Soy Sauce)

Ingrediente

Origem
Japanese and Chinese cuisine
Também chamado de
soy sauce

Shoyu is a salty sauce obtained from fermenting soybeans, wheat, water, and salt, dark in color with a distinctive aroma. Very present in Japanese and Chinese cooking, it seasons, salts, and enhances food flavor, being indispensable in Asian dishes, marinades, sauces, and everyday stir-fries.

Characteristics

It has an intense salty taste with a lightly sweet, toasted background, plus a deep fermented aroma. The most common versions in Brazil vary in salt intensity and color: regular shoyu is balanced for general use, while light versions have less salt and fuller-bodied ones call for smaller doses. It is liquid, fluid, and dissolves easily in broths and marinades. Once opened, keep it in a cool place away from light, and in the fridge if the label says so, always tightly closed to preserve the aroma.

Uses in the kitchen

  • Asian stir-fries: seasons kung pao chicken, yakisoba, chop suey, and sautéed vegetables, balancing sweet, sour, and salty.
  • Rice and noodles: gives color and flavor to chaufa rice, fried rice, ramen, and Asian noodles.
  • Marinades: with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, or honey, it coats chicken, pork, and fish before grilling or frying.
  • Sauces: the base of dipping sauces for sushi, sashimi, salmon tartare, tempura, and bowls, often with lemon, rice vinegar, or chili.
  • Finishing: drops on the fried egg, soup, or steamed vegetables boost taste without needing much salt.

Substitutions

The closest substitute is another style of soy sauce, adjusting the amount for salt content. In a pinch, dissolve salt in a little vegetable or meat broth with a pinch of brown sugar to mimic part of the effect, but without the fermented aroma of the original. Gluten-free versions like tamari work well in most Asian recipes. Avoid swapping in Worcestershire sauce or sweet ready-made sauces without adjusting, as the flavor profile changes a lot.

Fun facts

Because it is quite salty, the ideal is to taste the food before adding more salt when the recipe calls for shoyu. Added at the end of cooking, it better preserves its fragrance; boiled for a long time, it turns rounder and less aromatic. One spoonful goes a long way, so start with a little and adjust gradually, especially in broths and marinades that will reduce.

Recipes with shoyu

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