DARK SOY SAUCE
Most cooks have heard of soy sauce, but how about “dark soy sauce?” What’s the difference between standard soy sauce and dark soy sauce, and is dark soy sauce something you should keep on hand?
Yes, that’s the quick answer. The dark soy sauce is one of our 10 Essential Chinese Pantry Ingredients, and we’ll explain why in this article.
DARK SOY SAUCE: WHAT IS IT, AND HOW DO I USE IT? HOW DIFFERENT IS IT FROM THE ORDINARY SOY SAUCE?
Soy sauce that is darker, thicker, and slightly sweeter than standard or light soy sauce is known as dark soy sauce (lo chu). Aside from flavoring and darkening the color of sauces and fried rice, soy sauce is utilized in various ways.
It is common knowledge that dark soy sauce has a lower salt content than standard soy sauce, yet this is not the case. However, regular/light soy sauce has around 15% less sodium than dark soy sauce. The saltiness is just made to appear less salty due to the slight sweetness.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF DARK SOY SAUCE?
In recipes like Red Cooked Pork or Beef & Broccoli or rice and noodle dishes like Supreme Soy Sauce Fried Rice and Cantonese Pan-fried Noodles, it is widely used in braising or red-cooking the meat or achieving that enticing dark amber color.
One or two tablespoons is all that is needed for an amber-colored dish. To avoid over-seasoning your food, frequently taste as you add more black soy sauce.
PURCHASING AND STORING
Superior Dark Soy Sauce from Pearl River Bridge is what we recommend. Larger bulk jugs are also available for purchase (1.8L). Lee Kum Kee’s Premium Dark Soy Sauce is another good choice.
In addition to the standard dark soy sauce, you may come across variations like mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce and double black soy sauce.
Dark Soy Sauce with Extra Mushroom Flavor adds umami flavor to foods when used in place of regular soy sauce. Recipes calling for ordinary black soy sauce can be adapted to utilize this alternative. The addition of molasses to regular soy sauce results in a sauce that is thicker, darker, and slightly sweeter than regular soy sauce.
If you don’t live near a Chinese market, dark soy sauce can be purchased online. Keep your black soy sauce in a cold, dry area like the pantry. Refrigeration is not necessary.
TO REPLACE DARK SOY SAUCE, WHAT CAN I USE?
If you don’t have dark soy sauce on hand, you can simply omit it from the recipe and get the desired hue. The color of your food will be lighter, but the flavor will remain the same.
Don’t skip out on the dark soy sauce if you want your version of a dish to look like the one in the picture.
Use a double-black soy sauce for a darker flavor instead of dark soy sauce. You can also use dark soy sauce flavored with mushrooms instead of plain dark soy sauce.
It is possible to prepare a decent alternative by mixing ordinary soy sauce with molasses and a small amount of sugar.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 teaspoons of regular or light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of molasses
- 1/8 teaspoon of sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
CHOICE A
Dark soy sauce infused with mushrooms or double black soy sauce (both can be used interchangeably with dark soy sauce)
CHOICE B
1/8 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon molasses, and 2 tablespoons of ordinary soy sauce.