Discover the results of the blind tasting, which evaluated national and imported samples of the fermented soy sauce
Fill the nozoki (that saucer) with soy sauce, until it forms a pool, and dip the slice of raw fish, sometimes on both sides, before bringing it to your mouth. If you have already starred in this scene, know that it is considered a horror movie for most of the sushimen in traditional restaurants. Made very carefully in Japan, the fermented soy sauce It is a precious spice that should not be wasted. Other than that the idea is not to leave everything with a soy sauce flavor. “It’s a condiment that should be used to complement the flavor of the other ingredients. Just soak the sashimi,” explains chef Telma Shiraishi, from Aizomê, who was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the spread of Japanese cuisine in 2019.
Essential inside Japanese food, Chinese and other East Asian countries, is a salty and dark liquid, with a deep flavor, produced thousands of years ago on the other side of the world. Even here in Brazil, where it has become popular, there are hardly any artisanal versions of shoyu, but there are good brands available on the market, which follow the millennial preparation guide. To give you an idea, the production of this sauce takes at least a year and a half – or two summers, to be more romantic – going through the fermentation tanks. But it is clear that the industry has already found a way to accelerate this process.
The choice is not easy, especially when imported options are included among the alternatives. Can you read Japanese alphabets? Why to choose the samples of the tasting promoted by taste, the journalist who talks to you risked translating the labels found in the oriental market, confident of the six months of Japanese lessons practiced there in 2005. I started with the biggest word – and with the help of the table searched on the internet, I deciphered the syllables “sho”, “u” and “yu”. Put it all together, what does it give? Shoyu. Ten minutes (ten-mi-nu-tos) to find out what I already knew.
Fortunately, there are other ways to direct the purchase. On the back of the package, on the label pasted by the importers, look at the list of ingredients. Keep in mind: The basic recipe uses soy, sometimes wheat, salt and water – but, especially in the domestic versions, be prepared to also find corn, sugar syrup, dyes, flavor enhancers, and a host of other indecipherable ingredients. most consumers, accustomed to conservation, reduce costs, as well as add unattainable flavors and aromas in an accelerated fermentation process. Wheat, on the other hand, contributes by giving “greater depth and complexity to the flavor of the soy sauce”, as explained in the book by Sandor Katz, the guru of enzymes. The art of fermentation.
Another tip: if you find the term “koikuchi”, it refers to the common shoyu; “usukuchi” can be translated as a sauce with a light flavor, less powerful and which, you see, has nothing to do with the light versions, with a reduced sodium content. The difference comes from the higher percentage of wheat in the recipe.
And speaking of sodium content, “the lower, the better (for health),” the Japanese lady, who I assumed was the owner of the market, eagerly responded when I asked for help with imported labels. Well, it is still a criterion of choice.
the tasting
To gastronomically evaluate the ten brands of shoyu that can be found in large markets and shops specializing in oriental products, the taste promoted to blind tasting with a jury made up of experts and enthusiasts of Japanese food.
Due to the pandemic, the test was carried out remotely: each juror received, at home, a box with the uncharacterized samples, stored in test tubes identified only by numbers. The sauces, all in their traditional version, were enjoyed alone and also in the company of tofu cubes, which has a delicate flavor and helps to soften the saltiness of the soy sauce.
Among the brands, in addition to the well-known Sakura, which dominates the national market, there are the Japanese Yamasa and Kikkoman, which presents itself with two representatives for tasting: the imported version, produced in Japan, and the national version, which uses the Japanese base. to make a new sauce.
In the test, the jury took into account the appearance, aroma and taste of the products and their impressions were calculated in an online form. The result, with a ranking from one to ten, can be seen below.
The jury
Fernando Goldenstein and Leonardo Andrade
In front of the Co. dos Fermented, the self-taught duo, in addition to studying and teaching the artisan production process of shoyu, produces their own fermented soy sauce, just for fun. “When you taste a quality soy sauce, you feel like you have always been deceived,” they attest.
Gerard Barberan and Henry Miyano
The chefs share the baton at the counter of the Kuro restaurant in Jardins, whose attraction is the omakase (a kind of Japanese tasting menu). In experience, sushi is already served brushed with the ideal amount of soy sauce. If the customer asks for more soy sauce, he responds too, but not before explaining that it’s not necessary.
Renata Mesquita
journalist of taste and good with a fork – or better with chopsticks -, she loves exploring izakaya and sushi bars. While fun, she found tasting a great challenge. “I still need to taste some good shoyus,” she said, as she wasn’t satisfied with the quality of the samples tasted.
Telma Shiraishi
Chef of the Aizomê restaurant, in 2019 she was nominated Goodwill Ambassador for the Diffusion of Japanese Cuisine. She enjoyed tasting the soy sauce, but she felt challenged. “Ten champions end up being a marathon to smell and taste,” she comments.
Yasmin Yonashiro
Consultant in Service Management in Japanese restaurants and sake sommelière, he signs the letters of Jojo Ramen, Nagayama, among others. I had already participated in other shoyu tastings and I always find it interesting because of the “perception of umami”.
the shoyu
1st Kikkoman Koichuchi (made in Japan)
(R $ 46.40; 1 l; to Marukai). Lighter, in a reddish-brown hue, the product has already won over the judges for its aroma: complex, with notes of natural fermentation and burnt caramel. In the mouth, “it has an intense and well-balanced flavor between sweetness, with a hint of coffee and toffee, and salty,” described Renata Mesquita. “Round Shoyu, with a lingering taste,” Telma Shiraishi decreed. Ingredients: soy, wheat, salt, grain alcohol.
2nd traditional Azuma
(R $ 7.90; 500ml; at the Koa Food Market). The very dark liquid has a light and fairly alcoholic aroma. In the mouth, “while being very salty and sweet at the same time, the umami present helps balance,” says chef Telma Shiraishi. According to the judges, it is a good soy sauce to use on a daily basis in the kitchen. Ingredients: water, salt, sugar, soy, wheat, ethyl alcohol, caramel dye IV sulphite-ammonia process, flavor enhancers monosodium glutamate, disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate, conservative sodium benzoate and sodium carbonate and lactic acid acidity regulators.
3rd Aji No Shoyu
(R $ 8.90; 1 l; at the Koa food market). “It looks like a Brazilian soy sauce with lots of caramel”, ventured Fernando and Leonardo, from Cia. of Fermented. The thicker liquid has a toasty aroma, with a slight sweetness. Despite the complex flavor, as stated by one of the judges, with some spiciness and salty caramel notes, it has salty edges and forced umami. Ingredients: water, salt, soy, corn, sugar, caramel color III, flavor enhancer with monosodium glutamate and potassium sorbate preservative.
4th Yamasa (Japanese)
(R $ 25.20; 500 ml; to Marukai). “Good aroma of natural fermentation of soy”, celebrated Gerard Barberan and Henry Miyano. The lighter, almost transparent sauce has an intense, salty flavor, but with layers of acidity, natural umami and sweetness. “There is also the bitterness of roasted coffee”, underlined Renata Mesquita. Ingredients: soy, wheat, salt and alcohol.
5th Traditional Sakura
(R $ 12.90; 500ml; at the Koa Food Market). The darling of the supermarket shelves was not recognized by the judges in blind tasting. They marked the different aroma of soy (“do you remember the corn?”, Asked sommelière Yasmin Yonashiro), as well as the salty flavor that is superimposed on sweet and umami. According to the packaging, it is a “100% natural” fermentation sauce. Ingredients: water, refined salt, soy, corn, sugar, caramel color III, flavor enhancer with monosodium glutamate and potassium sorbate preservative.
6th traditional Hymnomoto
(R $ 10.90; 1 l; to Marukai). Naturally fermented, according to the label, it has a dark color and, in the aroma, the judges perceived a touch of the sea, reminiscent of oyster sauce, and natô (fermented Japanese soy). In the mouth, despite the balance of acidity and salt, with a slight sweetness in the finish, the umami seemed “forced”, “artificial”, probably due to monosodium glutamate. Ingredients: water, salt, soy, corn, granulated sugar and corn glucose. Additives: flavor enhancer INS 621 monosodium glutamate, INS 150C caramel coloring, INS 211 sodium benzoate preservative and INS 202 potassium sorbate preservative.
7th MN Food – organic
(R $ 23.90; 500ml; at the Koa Food Market). Organic and naturally fermented, it has a reddish hue and a woody scent, with notes of fermentation. In the mouth it loses points for being too salty and even bitter, despite the present umami and slight sweetness. Ingredients: water, organic soybeans, organic wheat grains and sea salt.
8th Kitano
(R $ 4.49; 150 ml; in Carrefour). Full-bodied and very dark, it has a strong smell of toasted caramel, “industrialized”, commented one of the judges. In terms of taste, there was no consensus. While some viewed it as a light, balanced sauce with a hint of tangy acidity, others viewed it as salty, artificial, and even weird. Ingredients: water, soy sauce (water, salt, soy, corn, sugar, salt, glucose syrup, caramel color III, flavoring, monosodium glutamate flavor enhancer and potassium sorbate preservative).
9 Hatenkoo
(R $ 12.90; 500ml; at the Koa Food Market). The almost non-existent aroma attracts towards a light toast. As for the taste, the judges complained about the forced, caramelized, very artificial sweetness “that a genuine soy sauce does not have,” says the CIA. of Fermented. The packaging claims to be a naturally fermented product. Ingredients: water, salt, sugar, glucose syrup, soy, corn, caramel coloring, monosodium glutamate flavor enhancer, potassium sorbate preservative, sodium saccharin artificial sweetener and citric acid acidifier.
10th Kikkoman – sushi, sashimi and grilled food (made in Brazil)
(R $ 6.90; 150 ml, in St. Marche). Unlike its imported version, the judges criticized the unbalanced flavor of the sauce, which is rich in sugar and MSG, ingredients that the Japanese recipe does not have. “It reminds me of a tarê sauce,” Yasmin Yonasahiro defined. Ingredients: water, soy sauce (water, soy, rice and salt), sugar, salt, vinegar, flavor enhancers monosodium glutamate and disodium inosinate, caramel coloring IV, citric acid acidifier and sodium benzoate preservative.
Source: Terra
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
