What Is Double Fermented Soy Sauce? (Taste, Uses + More)

Soy sauce is a wonderful liquid fermented condiment, but since soy sauce gained popularity people have been creating more soy sauce variants.

You may be wondering what double fermented soy sauce is. I checked out the facts, and here is what I discovered!

What Is Double Fermented Soy Sauce?

Double fermented soy sauce is a soy sauce that gets fermented twice, but the way double fermented soy sauce is made will highly depend on the manufacturer. Typically, double fermented soy sauce has a deeply savory flavor thanks to the second fermentation process. Double fermented soy sauce is typically used as a dip or an ingredient in stir-fries.

Do you want to learn more about double fermented soy sauce? Keep reading!

Double Fermented Soy Sauce

Double fermented soy sauce or twice-brewed soy sauce is a soy sauce that gets fermented twice, hence the name.

Most double fermented soy sauce looks similar to regular or dark soy sauce, but some brands create a double fermented soy sauce with light soy sauce.

What Does Double Fermented Soy Sauce Taste Like?

Generally, double fermented soy sauce tastes extremely savory when compared to other soy sauces.

Since double fermented soy sauce is fermented twice, double fermented soy sauce’s flavor will develop more flavor compounds, creating a complex umami-filled soy sauce.

Depending on the brand, most double fermented soy sauces will still have a salty flavor, and certain double fermented soy sauce brands will taste saltier than regular soy sauce.

How Do You Use Double Fermented Soy Sauce?

Since double fermented soy sauce is extremely savory, most people use double fermented soy sauce as a dipping sauce ingredient or as a dip by itself.

Typically, double fermented soy sauce dips can add savory bursts of flavor to dumplings, sushi, sashimi, and more.

Additionally, double fermented soy sauce is great in stir-fries if you want to add lots of umami to your recipe.

Moreover, double fermented soy sauce is amazing for stir-fries because most double fermented soy sauces are dark, meaning the double fermented soy sauce will darken dishes to make the food look more appetizing.

How Is Double Fermented Soy Sauce Made?

How double fermented soy sauce gets made will depend on the manufacturer since each brand will have a unique recipe.

For instance, Kikkoman Double Fermented Shoyu goes through two fermentation processes, hence why it is called double fermented shoyu.

However, what makes Kikkoman’s Double Fermented Shoyu unique is that Kikkoman uses Kikkoman Traditionally Brewed Soy Sauce instead of water and salt during the second fermentation.

Using more soy sauce instead of water and salt for Kikkoman Double Fermented Shoyu results in an extremely savory and complex flavor profile.

Lee Kum Kee’s Double Fermented Soy Sauce is another popular double fermented soy sauce, but Lee Kum Kee’s recipe is a secret.

Another way to make double fermented soy sauce is to use double the amounts of wheat and soybeans that a regular soy sauce recipe would call for while adding regular soy sauce instead of salted water.

Is Double Fermented Soy Sauce The Same As Dark Soy Sauce?

Is Double Fermented Soy Sauce The Same As Dark Soy Sauce?

Double fermented soy sauce is not the same as dark soy sauce because these soy sauces are made differently.

For one thing, dark soy sauce only gets fermented once whereas double fermented soy sauce gets fermented twice (depending on the manufacturer).

Moreover, they have different flavor profiles because double fermented soy sauce has a deeply savory flavor while dark soy sauce has mildly sweet notes.

Is Double Fermented Soy Sauce Better Than Other Soy Sauces?

Double fermented soy sauce can be considered better than other soy sauces, but it will heavily depend on what recipe you are using.

For instance, meat dishes that need a huge boost of flavor can greatly benefit from double fermented soy sauce because the double fermented soy sauce will add more savory flavors than other soy sauces.

Another example is how double fermented soy sauce would not be a good soy sauce for recipes that call for a subtle yet salty taste, meaning light soy sauce would be better than double fermented soy sauce.

Moreover, deciding if double fermented soy sauce is better than other soy sauces will heavily depend on your preferences.

For instance, you may not be a fan of double fermented soy sauce if you want something lighter and saltier, which means you would prefer light soy sauce instead of double fermented soy sauce.

Therefore, you can judge when you want to use double fermented soy sauce in your recipe depending on the recipe’s flavor profile and your preferences.

What Brands Have Double Fermented Soy Sauce?

Some brands that carry double fermented soy sauce include Lee Kum Kee, Kikkoman, Feki, and more.

Keep in mind that not all brands will explicitly say double fermented soy sauce on the label, as other brands may call it “double-brewed soy sauce” or “twice-brewed soy sauce.”

What Can I Substitute For Double Fermented Soy Sauce?

Generally, regular soy sauce can replace double fermented soy sauce if you are in a pinch because regular soy sauce also has savory flavors though not as much as double fermented soy sauce.

Dark soy sauce can also make a decent replacement for double fermented soy sauce, but dark soy sauce will have some sweet notes that double fermented soy sauce does not have.

If you are purely going for a savory taste then tamari soy sauce is an excellent alternative to double fermented soy sauce.

Tamari soy sauce is made with soybeans and no wheat, giving tamari soy sauce a deeply savory flavor that can replace double fermented soy sauce.

Read our other articles to learn what soy sauce paste is, what soup soy sauce is, and what Aloha sauce is.

Conclusion

Double fermented soy sauce is a twice brewed soy sauce, but the exact way double fermented soy sauce is made will depend on the manufacturer.

Generally, double fermented soy sauce has a deeply savory flavor because double fermented soy sauce has more flavor compounds thanks to being fermented twice.

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