Independently on million years people have been using soy sauce, its production technology hasn’t been changed yet: after being mashed, mixed with fried ground wheat grains and salted water, soy beans are usually put into special bags that then are placed in the sun. In this way, natural fermentation starts and dark fluid begins to flow. Depending on how much wheat is added, you can regulate sweetness of the sauce.
However, natural fermentation is a long process and many manufacturers have started to sell products labeled as soy sauce but produced in a few days using chemicals such as hydrochloric acid, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, corn syrup and caramel coloring. It only ages three days and gets dangerous carcinogenic substances that may even become a cause of cancer or other diseases.
It is important to know that non-brewed soy sauce can be made in any country, even in China and Japan, so if searching for a real sauce, you should invest some time just like how you choose wine or olive oil. When shopping, you should carefully read all the ingredients of the product. If only four ingredients, water, soy beans, wheat and salt, are listed – then it is a natural product produced by fermentation. However, if you find dyes, preservatives, fragrances – it is not a real soy sauce. In fact, price of the soy sauce can speak naturally: fermented in a traditional way, soy sauces are more expensive than fake ones. Besides, they are different in color as well, so look for red-brown, slightly transparent color.
National University of Singapore studies have revealed that naturally brewed Chinese dark soy sauce contains 10 times more antioxidants than red wine, and may help prevent cardiovascular diseases. However, keep in mind that it is not recommended to be used as much as wine.