Soy sauce is a very popular ingredient found in most recipes because soy sauce is versatile and tasty.
If you’ve ever come across thin soy sauce, you may be wondering what thin soy sauce is. I did all the research, and here is what I found!
What Is Thin Soy Sauce?
Thin soy sauce is another name for light soy sauce, a light, golden brown-colored soy sauce that is mellow yet salty in flavor. Typically, thin soy sauce is used as a seasoning for recipes during cooking to add a salty flavor, but thin soy sauce doesn’t have much soy taste. Moreover, thin soy sauce is commonly used in Chinese cuisine.
Do you want to find out more facts about thin soy sauce? Keep reading the rest of the article to learn more!
What Does Thin Soy Sauce Taste Like?
Normally, thin soy sauce will taste very salty, but the overall flavor of thin soy sauce is mellow compared to other soy sauces.
Thin soy sauce is not as savory, bitter, or sweet as other types of soy sauces since thin soy sauce doesn’t have much soy flavor, so the main taste you will notice is saltiness.
How Is Thin Soy Sauce Made?
Generally, most thin soy sauces have a similar recipe to regular soy sauce, which begins by crushing and roasting wheat while steaming soybeans.
Next, the soybeans and wheat are mixed with a fungus mold to begin the fermentation process, and this mixture develops for 2-3 days.
Afterward, manufacturers add salt and water into the mixture then leave the mixture to ferment for up to 8 months, but the fermenting process can last longer depending on the manufacturer.
Once the fermentation process is finished, the mixture gets put on top of the cloth and pressed. Usually, the first pressing creates a lighter-colored soy sauce, which is a thin soy sauce.
Finally, the soy sauce gets pasteurized to remove any excess bacteria then the liquid gets inspected and bottled.
How Do You Use Thin Soy Sauce?
Normally, thin soy sauce is used to season foods before and during cooking because thin soy sauce is salty, so thin soy sauce can replace salt in many recipes.
For instance, you can use light soy sauce in a marinade for meat and as you cook the meat to add a salty flavor into the recipe.
However, light soy sauce cannot work in place of other soy sauces like regular and dark soy sauce because light soy sauce has a milder flavor than other soy sauces.
Is Thin Soy Sauce The Same As Regular Soy Sauce?
Thin soy sauce is not the same as regular soy sauce because they have very different colors and flavor profiles.
Typically, thin soy sauce has a mellow flavor, but thin soy sauce is noticeably salty whereas regular soy sauce is bolder with a more complex flavor profile featuring salty, savory, and sour notes.
Plus, thin soy sauce is usually golden-brown and light in color while regular soy sauce is reddish-brown to dark brown.
Moreover, thin soy sauce has fewer uses than regular soy sauce because the main use of thin soy sauce is to season food whereas regular soy sauce is more versatile in the kitchen.
Is Thin Soy Sauce The Same Low Sodium Soy Sauce?
Thin soy sauce is not the same as low sodium soy sauce because they have different colors, tastes, and sodium contents.
Generally, light soy sauce contains a lot of salt because saltiness is the primary flavor of light soy sauce.
Most low sodium soy sauces have about 40% of the salt content removed after being made.
So light soy sauce contains 1000 milligrams of sodium while low sodium soy sauce will have 600 milligrams of sodium.
Additionally, low sodium soy sauce is usually dark brown while thin soy sauce normally has a golden brown color.
Is Thin Soy Sauce The Same Lite Soy Sauce?
Lite soy sauce is another name for low sodium soy sauce, and while thin soy sauce is also called light soy sauce, thin soy sauce is not the same as lite soy sauce.
What Can I Substitute For Thin Soy Sauce?
Generally, you can use almost any other kind of soy sauce to replace thin soy sauce if you need a salty flavor in your dish.
However, you will also have other flavors from using other soy sauces, which include savory, sour, and sweet.
Moreover, other kinds of soy sauces usually add color to food, which you would not get from a light soy sauce.
Additionally, you can also use plain salt to replace thin soy sauce if you only want a salty taste.
Does Thin Soy Sauce Go Bad?
Generally, soy sauces do not go bad, but all soy sauces will eventually lose their freshness after you open the bottle.
Typically, thin soy sauce can last for 3-6 months if opened and left on the counter, but you can preserve the flavor for up to 2-3 years by keeping an opened bottle in the fridge.
Is Thin Soy Sauce Better Than Other Soy Sauces?
Thin soy sauce is not better than other soy sauces because thin soy sauce has fewer uses in cooking.
Normally, thin soy sauce is only used to season foods before and during cooking, so thin soy sauce is not as versatile as other soy sauces.
However, thin soy sauce still has its benefits if you want to add a unique and salty taste without color to recipes.
If you want to learn more about regular soy sauce, Japanese soy sauce alternatives, and what soy sauces Chinese restaurants use, check out our related articles.
Conclusion
Thin soy sauce, also known as light soy sauce, is a common type of soy sauce used in Chinese recipes.
Normally, thin soy sauce has a salty and mellow flavor with a light color, making thin soy sauce a good option to season dishes.