Not just for stir fries, this adds zing to traditional English dishes, too
Known as shoyu in Japan and jiang in China, soy sauce was first brewed more than 2,500 years ago by Buddhist monks in China searching for an alternative to the meat-based sauces that were forbidden by their beliefs. It was introduced in Japan when the monks travelled there, bringing the sauce with them and soon became a popular ingredient in Japanese cooking.
Soy sauce is now a staple of every Far Eastern cuisine, but different countries have different styles of soy sauce. The traditional way to make soy sauce is through a natural fermentation cycle that lasts six months and uses soya beans, wheat, water and salt. This is believed to give a better product than soy sauce that is made chemically. While soy sauce is vital for Asian dishes such as stir-fries and noodles, it will also add a kick to marinades, dips, barbecue glazes, soups, sauces or salad dressings. You can also use it in shepherd’s pie, meatballs, casseroles and rice pilafs. And according to the Royal Society of Chemistry, it should be used instead of gravy powder to create the perfect gravy!