Why did soy sauce become light soy sauce or dark soy sauce? What is the relationship between them?

A dozen or twenty years ago, it was rare to see the terms light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. People just used soy sauce to cook, and older people were deeply impressed by this situation.

Suddenly, soy sauce disappeared. Now supermarkets sell light soy sauce or dark soy sauce. People can only use light soy sauce or dark soy sauce to cook. So why did soy sauce become light soy sauce or dark soy sauce? What are the differences in production process and cooking uses of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce? Let's learn about it together.

Soy sauce evolved from "sauce"

The so-called "sauce" is a paste-like condiment made from beans, wheat flour, fruits, meat, fish and shrimp through fermentation and other methods. The Chinese have a rich food culture. Sauce also originated in China and has a long history. The earliest record can be found in the Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago. For example, in "The Book of Songs·Da Ya·Xing Qi", there is a sentence "醓醢以荐", 醓醢 (tǎn hǎi), that is, meat sauce with juice; and in "Zhou Li·Tianguan Zongzai·Jiu Zheng", the positions of "醢人" and "醓人" are recorded, indicating that there were full-time staff making "sauce" at that time.

From using "sauce" as a condiment to later using soy sauce, it has undergone thousands of years of evolution. As early as the Qin and Han Dynasties, condiments similar to soy sauce appeared. The "Monthly Orders for the Four People" of the Eastern Han Dynasty recorded "various sauces, meat sauces, and clear sauces"; the "Qi Min Yao Shu Volume 8" of the late Northern Wei Dynasty also recorded "bean sauce clear". According to the research of agricultural historians, the so-called bean sauce clear or clear sauce is the clear juice extracted from bean sauce, which is similar to today's soy sauce.

The term "real soy sauce" first appeared in the Song Dynasty. The Southern Song Dynasty's "Shan Jia Qing Gong" recorded the use of soy sauce and sesame oil to stir-fry spring bamboo shoots, fish, and shrimp; "Wu Shi Zhong Kui Lu" recorded the use of wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil to steam crabs. By the Qing Dynasty, the use of soy sauce was very common. In the recipes recorded in "Xing Yuan Lu" in 1750 and "Sui Yuan Shi Dan" in 1790, soy sauce had become a very important condiment.

Soy sauce is commonly known as soy sauce, so the "sauce" that evolved from soy sauce should mainly be soybean paste. Modern soy sauce is mainly made from soybeans or black beans, wheat or bran, etc., through fermentation and other processes, and some pigments and spices are added. It has salty, fragrant, and fresh flavors and is the main condiment for Chinese dishes.

When did soy sauce become light soy sauce and dark soy sauce?

Some old people still remember that 20 or 30 years ago, there was no distinction between light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. People would go to the street to buy soy sauce. The so-called "buy soy sauce" was because at that time, people had to buy soy sauce in bottles or oil bottles, and use an oil measuring tool (a large or small measuring tool made of bamboo tubes or iron sheets) to measure the amount they wanted.

Later, "da jiang you" became a popular Internet term, meaning someone who just passed by, bought something and left, an insignificant person. "da jiang you" was one of the top ten Internet buzzwords in 2008, which shows that the phenomenon of "da jiang you" still existed at that time. But I think that in fact, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce were very popular at that time, and "da jiang you" may have become a childhood memory for some people.

Therefore, it can be said that the moment "da soy sauce" became a popular Internet term, the phenomenon of "da soy sauce" gradually faded out of people's real lives.

Why did soy sauce become light soy sauce and dark soy sauce instead of "dajiangyou"? In fact, the names of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce have existed for a long time, but they have always been popular in Guangdong. The so-called "抽" means to extract. After soybeans and flour are fermented and matured, the juice is extracted and seasoned with appropriate amounts of salt. This juice with a light and mellow color, rich sauce aroma and delicious taste is light soy sauce; and dark soy sauce is made by adding caramel to light soy sauce and undergoing a special process, so the color is darker and richer, and it is sweeter and more fragrant.

Guangdong cuisine is quite delicate, and can classify and separate ingredients to perfection, so the soy sauce is also classified very finely when it is made and used. When the soy sauce is mature, a tube is passed through the thick layer of soy sauce on the surface of the soy sauce jar to extract the soy sauce from the bottom of the jar. The first extraction is called the first extraction. After the extraction, salt water is injected into the jar. After 100 days of drying and fermentation, the extracted soy sauce is called the second extraction, also known as the "gold label". After the cycle continues, there is a third extraction, also known as the "silver label".

Of course, the first-draw is the best, and the second-draw and third-draw are of course worse than the last. Therefore, when buying soy sauce in the future, you can pay attention to which one to buy. Soy sauces of different grades and flavors can be used in different cooking methods.

After the reform and opening up, Chinese people became richer, and the "Northerners" (the name given by Guangdong people to residents in the area north of Shaoguan) who used to eat a rough diet also had higher requirements for food culture. Therefore, the light soy sauce and dark soy sauce that were originally only used in Guangdong gradually became popular throughout the country. With the development of the commodity economy, these condiments are no longer sold in bulk, but are packaged in various exquisite bottles, and the "soy sauce" lifestyle has completely withdrawn from the stage of history.

The different flavors and uses of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce

As long as it is brewed soy sauce, whether it is light soy sauce or dark soy sauce, it is the juice extracted from fermented beans, and it has rich nutrients and fragrance. However, there are certain differences in the flavor and usage of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Only by using them properly can they add color and deliciousness to the dishes. Otherwise, not only will they not add deliciousness, but they will destroy the color, aroma and taste of the dishes.

The main characteristics of light soy sauce are salty and fresh. When adding light soy sauce to cooking dishes, it can not only increase the aroma of the dishes, but also increase the saltiness and freshness. Therefore, dishes with light soy sauce should use less salt and condiments such as MSG and chicken essence, otherwise they will be too salty or too fresh.

In addition, light soy sauce has a light color and will not affect the original color of the dishes too much, making it more suitable for dishes that require bright colors. The salty and fresh flavor of light soy sauce is also a good condiment for dipping cold dishes.

The main characteristics of dark soy sauce are its deep color and sweet aroma. It is mainly used for coloring and flavoring when cooking dishes. It is an indispensable seasoning for some braised dishes, such as braised pork, stewed pork, etc.

Because dark soy sauce is dark and thick, it is not suitable for dipping cold dishes; and it is not suitable for cooking general dishes, especially light dishes and green vegetables, otherwise it will make the dishes black, destroying the beauty and taste. Generally, the amount of dark soy sauce used in households is small, and one bottle can be used for a long time.

But no matter dark soy sauce or light soy sauce, they are still soy sauce in the minds of "Northerners". Maybe many people still can't tell the difference between these two kinds of soy sauce, so the dishes they cook will taste worse. I hope that through this article, more people can understand the scientific reasoning behind it, so that everyone can live a more nourishing and comfortable life.

Here I have to remind you that real soy sauce (whether it is light or dark) should be fermented with beans and other grains as the main ingredients. There are also some chemically formulated soy sauces on the market, and some unscrupulous merchants do not explain it. I will not go into the specific harm of this kind of soy sauce, so it is better not to use it. Therefore, when buying soy sauce (light or dark), be sure to buy the one with a label indicating that it is brewed, and it is better to buy a big brand name for safety.

Thanks for reading, and welcome to discuss.

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