What is Brewed Shoyu?

Japanese brewed Shoyu

Shoyu is made only from soybeans, wheat, and salt. The protein in soybeans changes to components that produce flavor and color unique to shoyu as they are acted upon by microorganisms. Meanwhile, wheat is rich in starch, and is mainly used to create the unique aroma to shoyu.

It is a glutamine acid that takes very important role in making shoyu's UMAMI. A thick and high quality soy sauce contains about 1.5 %. This is just about 1/10 of salt content. In fact, the glutamine acid content as UMAMI to the salt in shoyu is close to that ratio and it has scientifically proven balance of delicious taste.

What’s the difference?

Countless varieties of soy sauce are available in the world. Japanese brewed shoyu stands out from other soy sauce. For example, it has clear color and rich flavor. On the other hand, chemically produced soy sauce has dark color and unpleasant aroma. Some soy sauce has added MSG and other additives.

Key condiment of Japanese Foods

Versatility‍

Soy sauce contains various tastes, such as saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and Umami. These are well-balanced to create the taste of soy sauce. For example, if you pour soy sauce on salty pickles, they become mild. If you dip sashimi (raw fish) into soy sauce, it removes the fishy smell and brings out its tastiness. The savory smell of stir-fried soy sauce stimulates your appetite.

In fact, it is inevitable to have it for Sushi, Soba, Tempura, Kabayaki, Yakitori.

Masking Smell

Many aromatic substances in soy sauce will kill fishy smells, and it works like spices, infusing fish with delicious flavor.

Enhance Taste

If you use soy sauce, foods becomes delicious. This is due to the glutamine, which is UMAMI essence, that enhances more than adding just soy sauce flavor. The glutamine acid is one of the amino acids that brings a strong UMAMI. However, if you add 5’ inosinic acid, UMAMI essence from dried Bonito and from meat, food becomes even tastier because of their synergistic effect.

Bring Aroma

The many aromatic substances within soy sauce give you the most enjoyable flavor with deep satisfaction. About 300 aromatic substances were found, such as rose, apple flower, fruit, whisky, and coffee. These diversified fragrances and flavors are all balanced to create a harmonious, pleasant aroma. Furthermore, if we heat up soy sauce, the aroma changes from that of raw soy sauce into the scent of Teriyaki.

Burning soy sauce gives you a special aroma and golden brown color, and also gives you the first signs of delicious food. “Unagi no Kabayaki” is a kind of TERIYAKI food that has a flavorful aroma created by burning soy sauce.

Add Color

Most people believe that the color of soy sauce is blackish red, but you may find clear and shiny red. This vivid, beautiful red is the sign of delicious soy sauce, and the color will stand out and stimulate your appetite.