Malay/indonesian

  • Kicap asin (light)
  • Kicap kentel (dark)
  • Kicap manis (sweet)

    Chinese

  • jiang you(light)
  • sheng chou(light)
  • hei Jiang you(dark)
  • lao chou(dark)
  • tian jian you(sweet)

    Singapore

  • jiang qing(light)
  • Jiang you(dark)
  • tian jian you(sweet)

    cantonese

  • sung chow(light)
  • low chow(dark)
  • seong ji yeow (sweet)

    Japanese

  • Shoyu (light)
  • *Tamari (dark)

    *Tamari is not the dark soya sauce used in Southeast Asia, but a varietion of light soya sauce.

    		• The exact date of soya sauce invention is not known but the earliest mention was over 1,500 years ago in China. It spreads to Korea and Japan where it becomes an important condiment. There are three basic types of soya sauces common in Southeast Asian kitchen: light soya sauce, dark soya sauce and sweet soya sauce.

    To differentiate, just give the bottle a light shake. Dark soya sauce is thick and will leave a dark brown coat on the bottle while Light soya sauce will leave just a film of very light brown sauce hardly noticeable. Sweet dark soya sauce is honey like in consistency. Soya sauces can be stored for a long time without refrigeration.

    Light soya sauce

    The most well known and popular of all is light soya sauce. It is the one called for when no specific type is mentioned in a recipe. It is aromatic, saltish and usually use in place of salt. Quality color varies, a well brewed soya sauce has a wonderful aroma that fills the room when it is served. The quality and flavour of light soya sauce can be best enjoyed when used as a dipping sauce when one can fully appreciate the aroma. The taste of soya is prevalent in Japanese cuisine. It is known as koikuchi and a lighter version is known as Usukuchi.

    Dark soya sauce

    Dark soya sauce is made by ageing light soya sauce further with the addition of caramel. It is richer in flavour and gives many Chinese foods their dark brown appearance. Stewing with dark soya sauce is an important style of cooking with many regional variations. Those dark chickens often seen hanging in Chinese restaurant windows is one example. With sugar and chopped chilli added, it is often used in Southest Asia as a dip for fruits such as pineapple. Japanese dark soya, Tamari, is made with little or no wheat added and ideal for sashimi and teriyaki. It does not contain caramel and is not a thick sauce.

    Sweet soya sauce

    It is a very thick sweet sauce containing a large amount of caramel. Called Ketjap Manis in Indonesia, it is a popular condiment in the indonesian kitchen. The Chinese use it mainly as a dipping sauce for such dishes as spring rolls and dumplings. A similar flavour is achieved in the Chinese kitchen with the use of dark soya sauce and sugar. Traditionally made Sweet soya sauce would occasionally taste bitterish, the result of burnt caramel.

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