You can cook most of our recipes with products found in the local grocery store. However, if you want to enjoy the result, you need a premium soy sauce. Do not compromise on this ingredient!
The first time I cooked one of Jing’s recipes, I used a consumer brand soy sauce from the local grocery. The flavor was awful, and the dish was so salty I could barely finish. The thing was, I did not add any salt. So I talked to Jing about what she uses, and did some research.
I soon found that US mass-market soy sauces were quickly made, using chemical processes and flavorings. True quality soy sauce is fermented for several months to a year. There are several quality brands available on line. Two such brands are Lee Kum Kee (which can also be found in some better grocery stores) and Pearl River Bridge. Jing, uses Lee Kum Kee at home.
I have tried Lee Kum Kee, and it is good, but my favorite by far is the Zhongba 360 Light Soy Sauce.
Light soy sauce is essential
Light soy sauce is NOT the same as “low-sodium” soy sauce. When soy sauce is made, there are two outputs. The first is the lighter soy sauce. It tends to have a lighter color, and a saltier taste.
The general purpose soy sauces sold in most Western groceries do not have the same characteristics of a true light soy sauce. Furthermore, they are often quickly produced using chemical processes, instead of using the long fermentation process required for real soy sauce. When used to make sauces for some of the recipes on this site, these sauces overpower the other ingredients. You will enjoy the true flavor of these dishes when you use an authentic premium light soy sauce is required for you to really enjoy the flavor of these dishes.
Dark soy sauce serves a distinct purpose
The Chinese use dark soy sauce to prepare meat for red-braising or barbecuing. Dark soy sauce is fermented longer than light soy sauce and has molasses or sugar added. Dark soy sauce is a key ingredient in Guangxi Kou Rou (steamed pork), for example. An off-the-shelf commercial brand in North American grocery stores will not work for this.
NOTE: The Spruce Eats has a post comparing and rating soy sauces. Jing uses Lee Kum Kee in her cooking, but after noticing that many soy sauces made for export to the US have similar flavor to their US-made counterparts, I settled on Zhongba from the Mala Market.
Zhongba Soy Sauces from the Mala Market
ZHONGBA 360 LIGHT SOY SAUCE (NATURALLY BREWED 1 YEAR)
A premium naturally brewed Chinese soy sauce with no additives or preservatives. Zhongba has been made continuously by one family since 1828 and is still made the traditional way, creating umami organically over a long fermentation period with zero need for added sugar, alcohol, caramel, msg, chemicals and preservatives.
–The Mala Market
I use Zhongba premium light soy sauce on all the recipes I test for Jing. The Zhongba has a natural flavor, and it makes a real difference. If you were to buy just one authentic Chinese ingredient, then a good light soy sauce such as Zhongba is what you should choose.
ZHONGBA DARK SOY SAUCE (NATURALLY BREWED)
Zhongba Dark Soy Sauce is naturally brewed for 180 days. Unlike supermarket brands of dark soy sauce, which taste mainly of sugary molasses and little of soy, Zhongba Dark Soy Sauce tastes like umami-rich soy sauce that’s been sweetened. Its long fermentation and trademark mushrooms and spices deliver the intense mahogany-red tint that makes food so appetizing.
–The Mala Market
I use this Zhongba dark soy sauce to make any of Jing’s recipes that call for dark soy sauce. It is especially delicious for making her Guangxi Kou Rou.
Related articles
Do you enjoy My Chinese Home Kitchen?
We enjoy sharing these authentic home recipes with you. To learn more about My Chinese Home Kitchen, please visit our About page.
Please leave a comment, or SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter.
For more of our original videos, visit My Chinese Home Kitchen on YouTube and Rumble.
