Japanese Food Tips

Soy sauce is the representative seasoning of Japan. It is made from soybeans, wheat, salt and water. However, just boiling down or mixing the ingredients does not make soy sauce. Also needed is the action of microorganisms such as koji mold, lactic acid bacteria and yeast bacteria. These microorganisms are indispensable for making soy sauce. It seems the key to making delicious soy sauce is squeezing it slowly over a long period of time. People in the Tokyo/Kanto area and northern Japan tend to like koikuchi (strong) flavored soy sauce whereas people in Western Japan prefer usukuchi (mild and saltier) soy sauce. Japanese people almost always use soy sauce for seasoning in simmered dishes and stir-fry, and, of course, we eat sushi or sashimi with soy sauce. Specialty soy sauce dedicated to sashimi is sold at many stores. There are a lot of Japanese who pour soy sauce over fried eggs and steaks. It may even be surprising that it is sweet and delicious when a little bit is poured over ice cream. Your typical meal might be even more delicious if you add a little soy sauce.