Also indexed as: Shoyu, Tamari
Soy sauce is often used in stir-fried dishes, or to prepare marinades for
meat or vegetables.
Soy sauce, usually called tamari or shoyu in Asian countries, is a salty condiment made by
fermenting soy beans mixed with grains in a salty brine.
Varieties
While true tamari or shoyu is an aged product, most of the commercial
soy sauce sold in the United States is a nonfermented synthetic product made from defatted
soybean meal and grains mixed with chemicals. Real aged
tamari or shoyu has a different flavor than commercial, synthetic soy sauce. In Japan,
synthetic soy sauce is not recognized by the government, which allows five different types of
soy sauce to be labeled as shoyu. Among the synthetic brands, reduced-sodium soy sauce is
available.
Buying and storing tips
Commercial soy sauce is readily available in grocery stores in the
condiment aisle or Asian food section. Tamari and shoyu are both sold in natural foods stores
and in Asian markets, sometimes in bulk. Store any type of soy sauce at room temperature for
up to a year.
Availability
Soy sauce is available year-round.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Soy sauce is a condiment, used sparingly to flavor dishes. Use it in
stir-fried dishes, or to prepare marinades for
meat or vegetables. It can also be used in
place of salt in soups and stews.
Nutritional Highlights
Soy sauce (made from soy and wheat), 1 Tbsp
(15mL)
Calories: 9.4
Protein: 1.25g
Carbohydrate: 1.26g
Total Fat: 0.006g
Fiber: 0.13g
Health benefits and concerns
Soy sauce is not a good source of
isoflavones (phytroestrogens). Isoflavones are compounds thought to be largely responsible
for many of the health benefits associated with eating soy. Therefore, eating soy sauce should
not be expected to contribute to the potential health benefits derived from eating other soy foods, such as miso, tofu, and tempeh, which contain higher levels of these compounds.
Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights
reserved. www.healthnotes.com
Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.
Learn more about the authors of
Foodnotes.
The information presented in Foodnotes is for informational
purposes only and was created by a team of U.S. registered dietitians and food experts.
Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using
any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed
medications. Information expires December 2003.
|
