Many people use soy sauce for various recipes, so manufacturers have been coming up with more types of soy sauces that have different flavors, uses, etc.
If you have ever seen soy sauce powder, you may be curious about what soy sauce powder is. I did the research, and here is what I discovered!
What Is Soy Sauce Powder?
Soy sauce powder is dehydrated soy sauce made by boiling then milling soy sauce to create a powder. Typically, soy sauce powder is mixed with water to create liquid soy sauce, but soy sauce powder may be used dry as a seasoning, dry rub ingredient, etc. Soy sauce powder is convenient if you need soy sauce while traveling.
Do you want to learn more interesting facts about soy sauce powder? Continue reading to find out!
What Does Soy Sauce Powder Taste Like?
When mixed with water, soy sauce powder tastes like regular soy sauce, so you can expect the savory and salty flavors you would normally get from soy sauce.
In its dry form, soy sauce powder will taste extremely salty and savory, so a little can go a long way if you use soy sauce powder as a seasoning or dry rub ingredient.
What Is Soy Sauce Powder Used For?
Typically, soy sauce powder is mixed with water or other liquids to create soy sauce before being added to stir-fries, marinades, and more.
Normally, you can mix 1 part of soy sauce powder with 1.5 parts of water to create liquid soy sauce.
Therefore, soy sauce powder is used as soy sauce, and people often prefer soy sauce powder if they do not like keeping liquid soy sauce.
However, soy sauce powder can also be used in its dry form as an ingredient in dry rubs or sprinkled over food.
Moreover, you can use dry soy sauce powder directly into dishes like soups, stews, dips, etc., if you do not want to dilute your recipes with more liquids.
Since soy sauce powder lets you control how much “soy sauce” goes into a dish, you can add more soy sauce powder into recipes for an extra savory and salty punch.
How Is Soy Sauce Powder Made?
How soy sauce powder is made will depend on the brand, but most manufacturers will dehydrate soy sauce to create soy sauce powder.
Typically, manufacturers dehydrate soy sauce by boiling soy sauce until the liquid evaporates and only solids are left.
Next, manufacturers take the soy sauce solids and lightly toast then mill the solids to create a sand-colored and fine powder, which is soy sauce powder.
Additionally, many manufacturers will mix the soy sauce powder with maltodextrin powder, which is a flavorless starch that preserves the dehydrated soy sauce powder.
How Long Does Soy Sauce Powder Last?
Typically, soy sauce powder can stay fresh for up to 2 years, which is almost how long regular soy sauce can stay fresh once opened.
However, you should not use soy sauce powder if the soy sauce powder has been exposed to air because the soy sauce powder will likely be contaminated.
Additionally, do not use soy sauce powder if the powder has solidified into chunks instead of a fine powder.
If the soy sauce powder solidifies, moisture and air contaminated the soy sauce powder, making the soy sauce powder go bad.
Is Soy Powder The Same As Soy Sauce Powder?
Soy powder is not the same as soy sauce powder because soy powder is soy protein isolate powder created from dehydrated defatted soybean flakes while soy sauce powder is dehydrated soy sauce.
Typically, soy powder is used as a source of protein, such as soy-based whey protein, whereas soy sauce powder is used to make soy sauce.
Is Soy Sauce Powder Better Than Regular Soy Sauce?
Technically, soy sauce powder is not better than regular soy sauce because you have to prepare soy sauce powder whereas regular soy sauce is ready-to-use.
Some people prefer soy sauce powder over regular soy sauce because they do not like how crystals can build up inside regular soy sauce bottles.
However, soy sauce usually develops crystals when improperly stored under direct sunlight or in areas with drastic temperature changes.
Moreover, soy sauce can have crystals when the soy sauce is old or exposed to air, which could mean that the soy sauce has gone bad.
Additionally, soy sauce powder can be better than regular soy sauce if you are camping or going on vacation to avoid breaking your soy sauce bottle or spilling your soy sauce.
What Can I Substitute For Soy Sauce Powder?
Generally, you can use regular soy sauce as a substitute for soy sauce powder because soy sauce powder is dehydrated soy sauce.
For some recipes, you may end up “diluting” your dish if you use regular soy sauce instead of soy sauce powder, but that will only happen if you need to use soy sauce powder in its dry form.
Otherwise, regular soy sauce will be a perfect replacement for soy sauce powder for most dishes.
If you only need a salty flavor in your recipe, plain salt can be a good alternative to soy sauce powder.
Keep in mind that salt tastes saltier than soy sauce powder, so you do not want to add an equal ratio of salt and soy sauce powder.
Check out our other articles to find out what thin soy sauce is, what reduced soy sauce is, and what first draw soy sauce is.
Conclusion
Soy sauce powder is dehydrated soy sauce made by boiling down soy sauce then milling the soy sauce finely to create a powder.
Generally, soy sauce powder is mixed with water to create liquid soy sauce, but you can also use soy sauce powder as a seasoning or dry rub ingredient.