Skinny Bitch_ Ultimate Everyday Cookbook - Kim Barnouin [84]
The point is, the soy sauce we’ve grown to love is not the stuff soybeans are made of. The cheaper brands on the market today are unfermented, synthesized from hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), and then mixed with hydrochloric acid. Additives like caramel coloring, preservatives, salt, corn syrup, and other refined sugars are added to the HVP to get it all nice and tasty. Not so tasty anymore, eh?121
Here’s the thing: Soy sauce can be a pretty healthful flavoring. Key words being can be. You just need to be conscious of what you are buying, and read your labels. I may sound like a goddamn broken record, but ask me if I care. It’s important to follow some rules to protect your health.
Below are a few things you should look for when deciphering the back of the bottle. I also touch on two Japanese soy varieties that should be in every vegan pantry. Now, without further ado, let’s put some oodle in that noodle.
THE SKINNY: SOY SAUCE ALTERNATIVES
BRAGG LIQUID AMINOS: BRAGGS IS MY RIGHT-HAND MAN IN THE KITCHEN. IT IS ALL-NATURAL, FLAVORFUL, VERSATILE, AND CONTAINS MUCH LESS SODIUM THAN COMMERCIAL SOY SAUCE. BRAGGS IS ALSO CERTIFIED NON-GMO AND CONTAINS MORE THAN SIXTEEN AMINO ACIDS! YOU CAN ALSO MAKE YOUR OWN SOY SAUCE WITH THREE SIMPLE INGREDIENTS.
DO-IT-YOURSELF SOY SAUCE
INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces (240 ml) molasses
3 ounces (90 ml) balsamic vinegar
Sugar, to taste
COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS. STIR AND REFRIGERATE IN AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER.
Soy Sauce: Label Language
NATURAL FERMENTATION: The highest quality sauces are made from naturally fermented or brewed soy products.
HVP: Make sure they do not contain HVP or any artificial coloring (i.e. caramel coloring).
LITE: You don’t need to blow your whole daily sodium allotment on one spoonful of soy sauce. Keep in mind that the recommended daily allowance is fifteen hundred to twenty-four hundred milligrams a day. One tablespoon of the “regular” stuff has a whopping one-thousand milligrams!122 The “lite” version weighs in at five hundred.
NON-GMO AND ORGANIC: It is very important that you buy soy sauces made from non-genetically modified soybeans. Buying organic soy sauce is a safe way to avoid this. Genetically modified soybeans contain a harmful gene that make them resistant to pesticides and herbicides. In the U.S., 92 percent of soybeans are genetically modified, so be a smart skinny bitch and double-check the bottle. I cannot stress this enough.123
BITCHWORTHY: ACCORDING TO THE FOOD CHANNEL, MORE PEOPLE HAVE SOY SAUCE IN THEIR KITCHEN THAN TEA, COFFEE, MILK, OR SALSA.124
Traditional Japanese Soy Sauces: Tamari and Shoyu
Your rice bowl may never be the same. Many are discovering the value of natural, authentic, and traditional soy sauces that are brewed with traditional methods and used by the Japanese for thousands of years. Tamari and shoyu both cater to different styles of cooking and deliver the subtle flavor of quality soy sauce. Tanoshimu.
TAMARI: Made from whole soybeans, sea salt, and water, tamari was once a thick brown sauce considered more of a rare delicacy reserved for special occasions. Once the Japanese learned how to brew tamari as a liquid soy sauce, it became a common household product that is thought to bring strong, dominant flavor to a dish. Tamari is wheat-free for those with gluten allergies, and used in food processing for longer cooking, such as soups, stews, marinades, and baking.
SHOYU: Japanese for “soy sauce made of soybeans,” shoyu is a mixture of wheat, sea salt, and soybeans. Shoyu is used to bring a soft, deep flavor to dishes, thus enhancing their flavor rather than overpowering it. Because shoyu is slowly fermented, it is easily broken down by our bodies and requires less energy to digest. It is more of an all-purpose cooking and condiment sauce best used in everyday dishes like stir-fries and or sauces, or for seasoning veggies.
Eggless Brown Fried Rice with Garlic Infusion