ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the fermentation, types, composition, flavor, and other characteristics of Japanese soy sauces. Soy sauce is probably man’s oldest prepared seasoning. Its exact origin is prehistoric and it probably was used to prevent food spoilage and preserve food. Soy sauce is known as “Shoyu” in Japan, “Chiang-yiu” in China, “Kecap” in Indonesia, “Kanjang” in Korea, “Toyo” in the Philippines, and “see-ieu” in Thailand. It is mainly used as an all-purpose seasoning in Japan, China, Taiwan, Malay-asia, Indonesia, and other countries. The soy sauces from China differ in organoleptic qualities and composition from that of Japan. The difference in aroma distinguishes the types of soy sauce from China and Japan. Differences in aroma are due to the use of different proportions of wheat and soybeans during the sauce preparation. The Japanese Agricultural Standards define the qualities of various shoyu which are classified into five types: koikuchi, usukuchi, tamari, shiro, a.
