Reddit mentions: The best soy sauces

I do! I was born into a family that owned a Thai restaurant, which I took over from age 18 to 27, and I’ve also a total whore for Asian cuisine so I can definitely help with soy sauce suggestions!

So here’s a great tip: you should have at least two different kinds of soy sauce including a light soy sauce and a dark one, with perhaps two or three additional kinds of specialty soy-based seasoning sauces. While that sounds like a lot, generally soy sauce is an inexpensive ingredient, even for more high-quality brands, and a bottle will last you for ages. I’ll give you a few recommendations for each category. As a side note these are Amazon links, but if you have access to an Asian grocery store then I absolutely suggest buying them there instead as you would save at least 50% off the prices.

Light Soy Sauce: this is your workaday soy sauce, the kind you would add savory saltiness to stir-fries or dip your sushi in.

Pearl River Bridge Golden Label Superior Light Soy Sauce - is a great standby favorite of Asian chefs the world over, especially in the seafood palaces of Hong Kong. It’s less jarringly salty than say a Kikkoman, with more complexity. Pearl River Bridge is a really well-respected brand of Asian condiments, generally all of their products will be either good to excellent. Note that they produce two different varieties of light soy sauce, the “Superior” and the “Golden Label” - always go for the Golden Label, it’s just better in every way than the “Superior”.

The second light soy sauce I’d recommend is San-J Tamari - which is made wholly of soybeans without any wheat. While this is good news for anyone with gluten sensitivity issues, the flavor has a more pronounced umami because of it.

Dark Soy Sauce: think of dark soy sauce as a soy balsamic vinegar - it’s a highly-concentrated, almost syrupy sauce that also has a bit of sugar for a hint of sweetness. It is ideal for marinades, salad dressings, glazes, I’ve even used it in desserts!

[Pearl River Bridge Mushroom Flavored Superior Dark Soy Sauce](16.9 oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6A03MU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ImLPDbGVGZ3K0) - is an umami bomb to your tastebuds, rich with portobello mushroom notes and a perfect accompaniment to red meat dishes like wok-seared ribeye with gai lan aka Chinese broccoli.

Healthy Boy Thai Sweet Soy Sauce White Label - as thick as molasses, this sweet soy is essential in traditional Thai noodle dishes like ผัดซีอิ้ว (pad see iew) and is also good when you want to add a little savoriness to sweet recipes. I once made sweet soy brownies with a healthy dollop of this and they were utterly fantastic.

Miscellaneous Soy Sauces: these are usually different varieties of flavored soy sauces from around Asia.

SHIMOUSA PONZU - ponzu is a mixture of soy sauce and yuzu, which is the juice of a Japanese citrus fruit. This bright sauce adds a lemony kick to salad dressings and jazzes up seafood. Try it as a marinade for salmon crudo or as a dipping sauce for your favorite sashimi.

Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce - oh my god do I love this stuff, it tastes like my childhood as my Dad would always cook my favorite meal (pineapple fried rice with shrimp, chicken, veggies and cashews) with this sauce. It’s a soy sauce with a very distinctive tangy kick, and I use it in everything from fried rices, eggs, soups, noodles, stir-frys, you name it. Everyone I have sample this wonderful sauce ends up being addicted!

I skipped over a lot of stuff, like the recent rise in artisanal soy sauces, many of which are even aged in barrels! But I think that this is a good start for someone who wants to explore beyond the disposable packets they get from the takeaway place. Let me know if you have any more questions! (Or if you want a recommendation for fish sauces, because I could literally write monographs on the subject!)

Not Filipino, but I enjoy the food. I just finished eating my homemade ginataan chicken adobo 5 minutes before I read your post.

Note: Learn to love MSG. Many already great Filipino recipes are soooo much better with some Accent.

Chicken Adobo: Chicken cooked in soy sauce and vinegar.

This is one of the simplest and cheapest full meals you can make, especially if you have a pressure cooker. It's extremely flexible and there are tons of variations that are all good. At its simplest it's just chicken, Filipino soy sauce, cane vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorn.

There are a bunch of recipes online that would have you use generic supermarket soy sauce and apple cider or white vinegar; don't do that. You can get a Datu Puti combo pack of Filipino soy sauce and cane vinegar from Amazon or any asian store for < $10. That will make several dozen servings. Should be served with white rice. Can also be made with pork or fish.

Recipes:

https://recipes.instantpot.com/recipe/filipino-pressure-cooker-chicken-adobo/

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/filipino-chicken-adobo/

 


Ginataan Chicken Adobo with Pineapple:
Just the above chicken adobo with coconut milk and pineapple, but it tastes different enough to deserve it's own entry. A fantastic mix of sweet and savory.

Recipes:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/212950/guinataan-chicken-adobo/ (I add some pan-seared pineapple and omit the sugar)

https://paiskitchen.com/pork-adobo-pineapple/

 


Arroz Caldo: Garlicy chicken & rice porridge.
Very good comfort food. Best if you can find a Filipino market that sells Calamansi (tiny citrus fruits that taste like a cross between a tangerine and lime). Fry about twice as much garlic as you think you need to use as garnish; it's the highlight of the dish for me.

Recipes:

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/03/arroz-caldo-chicken-rice-soup-recipe.html

https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/arroz-caldo/

 


Lechon Kawali: Thick-cut pork cut belly simmered then deep fried.
The combination of crunchy fried pork skin and tender belly meat is absolute heaven. Make a bunch extra and use the leftovers for sisig (the next recipe below).

Recipes:

https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/lechon-kawali/

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/02/lechon-kawali-filipino-crispy-fried-pork-belly-recipe.html

 


Sisig: Sour & tangy pork fried with peppers
This is absolutely in my top 5 favorite recipes, and would probably be my death row last meal. A unique flavor you won't find anywhere else (as far as I know). Usually made parts of the pig's face and liver, but can also be made with leftover lechon or a whitefish like tilapia. The pork variety is an extremely heavy food not for the faint of the heart.

Recipes :

(Leftover Lechon version) https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/crispy-
sisig/

(Whitefish version) https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/bangus-sisig/

 


Pancit Canton: A very unique version of pancit made with sweet and extremely fatty Chinese sausages (lap cheoog). Most Filipino markets will sell pancit canton noodles in the refrigerated section. Like a lot of the Filipino recipes, it's very flexible: throw whatever meat and stir-fryable vegetables you have in the pan.

Recipes:

https://paiskitchen.com/pancit-canton/

https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/pancit-canton/

 


Bicol Express: A thick-cut pork belly curry-like stew, make it as hot as you can tolerate.
Can throw any sort of pepper in here with good results: thai, fresno, long hots, whatever. This is incredibly heavy. Serve a smaller amount than you would think with tons of white rice. WARNING: If you've never cooked with shrimp paste before, note that it's incredibly smelly. Your house will stink for days. Best if can have an outside burner to fry the paste. Once the coconut milk has been added the smell becomes much more mild.

Recipes:

https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/bicol-express/

https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/bicol-express-219012


 


 



BONUS Non-filipino recipes
FIlipino food is relatively popular, but I don't think Chamorro (Guamanian) food gets enough love. They make great cook-out/pot luck food. Here's a signature dish with their signature side:

Chicken Kelaguen: Shredded chicken with peppers, lemon, and grated coconut
Super good, serve with red rice below. Can also be made with Spam.

Recipes:

http://www.annieschamorrokitchen.com/chicken-kelaguen-flour-titiyas/

https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/437637-chicken-kelaguen-with-finadene-sauce

 


Red Rice: Rice cooked with bacon fat

Recipes:

https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/roses-chamorro-red-rice-316652

http://www.annieschamorrokitchen.com/red-rice/

I also have a lot of food allergies.

Keeping meals simple has helped me a lot (not just from an allergy perspective, but diet adherence, time management, etc.) Most of our meals we build around one main protein and 1-2 vegetable side dishes.

I've found searching paleo and whole30 type recipe sites and books helpful for inspiration. While some recipes will be too high carb (or need to be modified) it gives you a lot of basics to start with.

For my carb eating husband I might withhold some of the fat from my meal and add it only to my portion, or make cauliflower rice for me and regular rice for him, or serve my sauce over vegetables instead of noodles. If you keep the carb mostly separate (rice, pasta, potatoes, starchy veg) it is easy to make it work for everyone.

Our primary vegetable side dish rotation is broccoli, green beans, leafy greens (spinach especially), asparagus, cauliflower, snap peas, squash, mushrooms, bell peppers, and brussels sprouts. I often buy 2 or 3 large bags of vegetables per week and mix and match into our meals, then do something different the next week.

For the meats I do a lot of chicken (roasted, fried, stir fried, curried, grilled,) pork (pulled with home made BBQ sauce, roasted, grilled, fried), burgers (beef, turkey, or beyond beef soy/gluten free pea protein), steaks, beef stew (with lots of mushroom and smaller amounts of lower carb starchy veg such as rutabaga), sausages (pork, beef, turkey, or chicken), ground beef (taco salad, stuffed peppers), and sometimes fish (usually just tuna or white fish tacos.)

Some substitutions you might make (but I'm not a doctor so check with yours):

• [Soured coconut milk]
  (http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2014/01/homemade-dairy-free-sour-cream-nut-free.html) instead of sour cream
  
  
• [Coconut aminos]
  (https://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Soy-Free-Seasoning/dp/B003XB5LMU?th=1) instead of soy sauce.
  
  
• I believe all (or at least many) [Daiya]
  (http://daiyafoods.com/) products are soy and gluten free. Some (like the cheese) are reasonably keto friendly, some (like the yogurt) are not.
  
  
• [Soy free veganaise]
  (http://followyourheart.com/products/soy-free-3/) can be used in place of mayo. There are a lot of options for [making your own]
  (http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/01/how-to-make-vegan-mayonnaise-mayo.html) as well. I love making chicken and tuna salads with this.
  
  
• Coconut milk for drinking and canned coconut milk for creaming things makes an excellent dairy alternative.
  
  
• For creamer I use [this stuff]
  (http://www.questnutrition.com/protein-powders/mct-oil-powder/) but it contains a little sodium caseinate so may be unsuitable for you. There's commercial coconut milk based creamers, or you can just add coconut milk and doctor it up how you like.
  
  
• Skip the eggs and eat the meat for breakfast. Bacon, sausage, and smoked salmon are all good. I buy the applegate brand breakfast sausages and all the ones I've had so far have been soy/gluten free and very good. I also like [flaxseed porridge.]
  (https://www.charliefoundation.org/resources-and-tools/find-recipes-home/breakfasts/item/1108-porridge) (substitute refined coconut oil or butter flavored coconut oil or spread.) Or you can make a low carb protein shake or smoothie if you're into that. (Or just eat food that's not "breakfast food.")
  
  
• There are many keto-friendly sweet recipes that make use of things like ground flax seed and coconut flour and shreds. One lazy dessert I actually love is heated up culinary coconut milk (until it thickens) with sweetener and a pinch of cinnamon. I eat it like rice pudding without the rice. I also like cold chia seed pudding with coconut cream and vanilla.
  
  
• You can get bulk sweeteners (sucralose, stevia, whatever you like) in liquid or powder form to avoid any bulking agents that add carbs and may be irritating.
  
  
• I find that taking a daily probiotic is helpful personally, along with eating fermented or cultured foods. There are a lot of non-dairy probiotic supplements.
  
  
• For snacks, pickles, olives, and raw vegetables! You can definitely find some soy free jerky, and there's also [epic meat protein bars]
  (https://epicbar.com/bars-overview) which are soy and gluten free.
  
  
• For my body, I find [MCT oil]
  (https://www.amazon.com/All-Natural-Coconut-MCT-Oil/dp/B00XB5IWJC/) and coconut oil the best choices for this as they may be more easily absorbed. Start with a small amount and work up though, as they can trigger diarrhea in some people.

Here is a recipe to the best thing I've personally created.

Sauce

• Chili garlic sauce (careful, this is spicy. If you over do it, add more sugar/soy, can easily happen if you reduce too much)
  
• Tamari (fancy soy sauce with less salt and more flavor)
  
• rice wine vinger (couple splashes)
  
• Seaseme seed soil, about 1tbsp, huge flavor
  
• fresh minced up garlic and ginger.
  
• 1-2 tbsp of brown sugar to taste, can get too sweet quickly so make sure to be tasting after adding.
  
  Mix that all up in a bowl with a whisk and simmer on low heat in a pan.
  
  Meat
  
  I've done this with chicken and beef, but beef came out my favorite
  
  
• 1 package of stir fry beef, or fajita beef. any small cut beef would work, and cheap beef would work well too from how its being prepared.
  
  To cook, refrigerate the meat so its cold, then take it out and put it in a gallon ziplock bag. In the bag with the meat add corn starch (enough so everything is throughly coated) and black pepper. Toss the beef up so its nice and coated.
  
  Then, pour the beef and powder into a spagetti strainer to knock off all the excess corn startch. You are not making a crush or batter, just coat it.
  
  Next, heat up a pan of vegetable oil. Once its hot where when you drip a drop of water and it starts bubbling, toss the meat in. Let it fry for about 2-3min, when you are stiring it around with your spoon or whatever, you will feel it start to harder. As soon as it "feels" crispy, take it out. (dont worry, it will soften)
  
  Let this dry on a cooling rack or paper towels.
  
  Starch
  
  I love the Asian noodles, you can get them in a package. To cook, use a very large pan/wok or electric skillet thats going to be where you combine everything in. Heat up the pan, put some sesame seed oil in the pan, then the noodles. Toss them around until they heat up and remove. Set aside the noodles. (cook maybe 2-3min)
  
  Rice would also work here, although cooking instructions for rice should be followed.
  
  Veggies
  
  Easiest option is to buy a bag of stir fry mix. I usually combine some stir fry veggies with fresh garlic and a fresh quartered onion. (i like big chunks of onion for this, but cut to the size you prefer).
  
  The stir fry veggies are generally broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts, red bell peppers and peas.
  
  To cook: heat up a pan, use a big one. If you dont have a large pan an electric skillet WITH SIDES will work. This has to be big enough to fit all of the veggies and meat.
  
  After the pan is heated up, add a splash of vegetable oil and some sesame seed soil to the pan. Toss in all of the veggies and keep them moving while they heat up. After they look heated up, add some of the sauce you made earlier. Toss them around so they are coated but not dripping or soggy.
  
  The veggie part you dont want to take longer then 5-8min so you have crunchy veggies at the end.
  
  The Finish
  
  Finally, the fun part. First, add your noodles back to the pan, then add some of your sauce, and toss them around so they are coated. Then add your veggies and beef to the pan. Toss this around until everything looks distributed. Now, add more of your sauce to taste, toss and enjoy!
  
  IDK what you'd call it, but we call it spicy stir fry beef with noodles lol
  
  A few tips... dont add too many veggies where you "dilute" the amount of noodles you have. Dont over cook the veggies or they get too soft. Chili-garlic sauce is SPICY. Sesame seed oil is VERY STRONG. Use those two in moderation but for huge flavor!
  
  Also, please let me know if you try this i'd love to know what other people thought of it.

Wow, really disappointing that there's no where to get it here, but on the other hand, it's really not that hard to make. It's basically a pancake with tons of stuff in it. The most important part is having the proper sauce, which you can find at any decent asian market. It's helpfully called Okonomi sauce. Otafuku is the most common brand (sometimes it comes in a bag ). For bonus points, you can use Kewpie mayo from Japan, although honestly plain mayo works just fine. It's been a while since I made it, so I don't have a go-to recipe, but you can put just about anything in it, so long as you have a good base and plenty of cabbage. Here's one you could try from one of my favorite food sites. Good luck! And don't skimp on the sauce!

Here's I writeup I did for another thread a month ago.

Some of my favorites, off the top of my head:

• La Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp. It's a salty condiment that's ridiculously addictive:

https://www.tastecooking.com/cult-spicy-chile-crisp/

• Chinese sausage have a unique sweet flavor from rice wine or sorghum wine. Slice them into little coins and add to a stir-fry. Many varieties are available (some are all pork and some contain added pork liver or chicken.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_sausage

• Red dragonfruit, if they have them (most dragonfruit are pink on the outside, and boring white on the inside; sometimes you can find ones that are red on the inside, and I like those much better. The market will label them somehow if they're the more expensive red-centered ones.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya

• Pork floss ("pork sung"; this is dried shredded barbecued pork, used as a topping for some comfort foods such as congee. It tastes a bit like bacon, but they have the texture of cotton candy.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rousong

• Japanese curry bricks are a great shortcut to making Japanese-style curry. All you need to add are meat, vegetables, and water. S&B Golden Curry is a good first choice for beginners, but there are many other varieties available.

https://www.sbfoods-worldwide.com/recipes/010.html

• Thai curry paste combined with coconut milk makes Thai-style curry. Many varieties are available; if you're new, I suggest starting with a tiny can of Maesri brand "karee" (yellow curry) flavor, combined with 1 can of coconut milk.

https://importfood.com/products/thai-curry-paste/item/karee-curry-paste

• Koon Chun brand Black and Double Black soy sauce are variations of dark soy sauce with molasses added for extra sweetness and color, but not thickened the way some other compounded soy sauces are. Sometimes I substitute Koon Chun's black soy for dark soy sauce in recipes.

https://www.amazon.ca/Koon-Chun-Double-Black-Sauce/dp/B00012OI0U

• Chinkiang black vinegar (many brands are available) is tangy and is what makes good hot & sour soup brown. It's essential for many Chinese recipes (balsamic vinegar is sometimes used as a substitute.)

https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Plum-Chinkiang-Vinegar-18-6/dp/B00BUIKGU0

• A bag of MSG crystals! You will likely never use all of that one-pound bag but it's something cheap that you can experiment with.

https://www.amazon.ca/Ajinomoto-Monosodium-Glutamate-Umami-Seasoning/dp/B00IH28XDE

• dried shiitake mushrooms. Shiitakes are considered an expensive, exotic item in Western cuisine, but in Asian cuisine they're just the regular mushrooms, and quite affordable if you buy them dried. You have to soak them in hot water (and then trim off the stem) before using them.

https://www.taste.com.au/quick-easy/articles/how-to-prepare-dried-shiitake-mushrooms/8jwnrwwb

• frozen gyoza imported from Japan (Shirakiku and Ajinomoto are the two big Japanese frozen food brands.) Many flavors are available. They're some of my favorite snack foods, though cooking them can be a little bit of a scary experience due to hot oil. Make a basic dumpling sauce by mixing the black soy sauce (above) with a little of the black vinegar (above)!

https://www.amazon.com/Ajinomoto-Chicken-Gyoza-Dumplings-Frozen/dp/B013H9M9YA

https://www.japaneseflavours.com/recipes/16_yaki-gyoza-pan-fried-how-to-cook-frozen-gyoza

...if you prefer chewier dumplings, the store will also have a wide variety of Chinese frozen potstickers (in the northeastern US you may hear them called "Peking Ravioli".) They have a thicker pastry.

Also, Bruce Cost's book "Asian Ingredients" is a good basic reference to things like the vegetables and condiments from Asian grocery stores.

There is not many good ramen books in english. the two i would reccomend are Ivan Orkin's "Ivan Ramen" and Brian Macduckston's "Ramen At Home". I'd actually recommend staying away from any other books, so many of them are filled with garbage recipes.

some ingredients -

katsuobushi - a dried fish product used for making broth that is essential to all japanese food. the best katsuobushi can be called honkarebushi or hongare katsuobushi, is smoked, and then sun dried with the assistance of a special mold. the lower grades skip much of the sun drying process and are sold as hanakatsuo or kezuribushi.

soy sauce(shoyu) - the best shoyu based ramen come from a blend of soy sauces. i like to use some average, less expensive shoyu, and some higher end, more complex shoyu in a blend. look for imported brands made in japan, the kind with no english on the label. something like this;

https://www.amazon.com/Kishibori-Shoyu-Artisan-unadulterated-preservatives/dp/B005GQYXTC/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1510963713&sr=8-3&keywords=shoyu

i also like to use shiro shoyu, white soy sauce, in ramen.

noodles - i dont know whats available in the UK but the noodles are very important to ramen. the best noodle in the US is a brand called Sun Noodles. they sell noodles retail in packs that come with fresh noodles and instant broth. if you can find them or order them online, get Sun Noodles.

kombu - a seaweed that is used in conjunction with katsuobushi to make dashi broth.

with the exception of sun noodles, its good to buy all ingredients made in japan. they will be more expensive than their chinese or korean counterparts, but they will be much higher quality.

in addition to the books, there are some really great recipes in the sidebar.

You definitely don't need MSG for amazing fried rice, at least not as its own separative additive. If you want it... sure go for it, nothing wrong with the stuff barring the rare food allergy. You also don't need your rice to be a day old, but it will turn out better if you A) soak the rice for like 20 minutes before you turn your rice cooker on and B) let the rice sit loosely covered for some time (20-30 min), fluff it, then let it sit loosely covered a little bit more (20+ min) to let some heat and moisture out before you start stir frying.

You do probably need to buy better soy sauce, which may or may not have MSG but get something like this. A little oyster sauce won't hurt, and if you can handle any spice a partial spoonful of chili sauce will make better fried rice than anything you get from a restaurant.

Those sauces will take a lot of the guesswork out and make it a lot harder to overdo it with unfamiliar food additives. Definitely look for them at a nearby asian market, sometimes Wal-Mart has them. Amazon's prices are 2+ times higher than they should be.

For those who must have a recipe:

I took the leftover split breasts and jalapenos after making dove poppers (ran out of bacon and pan space!) and marinated them in korean soy sauce (Guk-ganjang). Regular soy sauce would be great too but I just had this on hand and it's very, very, rich.


When the thin spaghetti noodles (not angel hair!) were nearly finished, I threw the concoction in a non-stick wok and went to town. Once well browned with a fantastic maillard reaction... I added the spaghetti and topped with Kikkoman Spicy Miso sauce.

The cucumbers were dashed with a balsamic glaze and I garnished with a fresh basil leaf.


PS: I'm not asian but I obviously took a lot of inspiration from similar dishes.

I'm glad that you are health conscious, but if you hide it from them how will they know to eat it by themselves when they grow up. If they see you enjoy them, they will like it too.

I like vegetables. I love fruit, but the idea of mixing them is just not appealing like fish and vegetables. I guess its a bit better.

Smooth leaf spinach in salad is very nice. Could use it in place of or with lettuce.

Koreans prepare savoy spinach that is very tasty. Flash in hot water for a few minutes, douse in cold water, tad of quality real sesame oil, authentic soy sauce https://www.amazon.com/Sempio-Naturally-Brewed-Sauce-25-36/dp/B00F2NO52O. I do not work for the company. I use it myself. Toss mix with fingers, chill, serve, wala.

Delicious.

Or make your kids watch Popeye reruns like that guy they forced to watch war video in Fahrenheit 451.

I don't know why anyone hasn't mentioned this, but that is WAY too much oyster sauce for a pound of meat.

you'd be better off with 2-3 tbsp of Oyster Sauce. INstead of straight soy, use Dark Soy. It gives it a much richer flavor. My favorite brand is Pearl River, you can get it at most asian markets, or off amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Pearl-River-Bridge-Superior-Sauce/dp/B0001EJ4C0/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1332891610&sr=1-1

However it's really overpriced on Amazon. You should be able to find it at a well stocked asian market for 3-5 bucks a bottle.

Korean soy sauce is miles ahead of the stuff you get at the grocery store in the US. I'm sure the same could be said about real Japanese and Chinese soy sauces as well. SAUCE!!! This was the staple while I was over there, but there were entire aisles dedicated to soy sauce. I've had minimal experiences with Japanese and Chinese soy sauce. I really only had Kikkoman before I went to Korea. It's a good soy sauce. Gets the job done. Korean sauces have a more earthy flavor and they're definitely stronger in saltiness. It's definitely worth a try! *edit - accidental wrong link!

I wasn't telling you to eat those foods or giving them as suggestions, just using them as examples of packaged foods with plenty of sodium. Here are some products that fit your requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

I actually love to put salt on my oatmeal, and a cup of oatmeal is only 300 calories, so you'd only be putting 1/4 tsp in (450 mg sodium). I don't measure, but I think I do that just because I love the way it tastes.

I also add at least 1/4 tsp (probably more) of salt to a cup of rice, which is only 200 calories. A cup of broccoli is 60 calories and has 60 mg of sodium, and I could easily add 1/4 tsp to that too, passing 500 mg of sodium in just 60 calories! All other veggies would be similar to that.

I made vegan, gluten-free, bean-free broccoli-cheese soup recently that was about 450 calories and over 2,300 mg of sodium. I could have eaten it with a cup of rice and hit 3,600 mg of sodium in just 650 calories. Then I could have had a baked potato and easily surpassed 4,000 mg of sodium in just 800 calories... and I'm not even trying, that's just how I eat normally. I like salt. Seriously, its not hard.

Gluten free soy sauce, right at your front door.

Best instant ramen I've ever had is Nissin Raoh Tonkotsu ramen. You can get it from Amazon here.



Then get this pair of bowls.

Then, go to the store and get some eggs, green onion, a few thick cuts of pancetta (like 1/4 inch), wood ear mushrooms, nori, soy sauce, and mirin. If you can't find mirin at the store, you can also order it from Amazon!

Do up the eggs like this.

Slice the green onion really fine, like 2mm slices. Slice at a 45 degree angle.

Throw the pancetta in a skillet with a bit of vegetable oil. After it starts to sizzle, drop 2 tbsp of soy sauce and mirin (each) into the pan. Once the pancetta is carmelized (you still want it to be a little floppy), remove from heat/set aside.

Get some water to a boil and then add the wood ear mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes (they cook fast). Drain/rinse the mushrooms in cold water, then slice them thin, about 1/4 inch. Set aside.

Cook ramen according to package instructions. Immediately after plating (while it's still too hot to eat), add your toppings: 1 egg (sliced in half), 2-3 pieces of pancetta, nori, green onion, and mushrooms to taste. Let the bowl cool with the toppings in it for a minute or so, then dig in.

That's how I do my "too lazy to get to a ramen shop" ramen. Total prep/cook time is less than 20 minutes.

Also, remember that the best bowls of ramen are the ones you eat next to each other. Happy noodling!

I've not had this personally, but looks like coconut aminos are a great paleo-friendly seasoning for jerky. Here's a recipe.

I used to use Bragg's liquid aminos when I made jerky, and it tasted great, but Bragg's is soy based.

Kept forgetting to respond to this-

Pita (toasted)
Tuna (raw, good quality)
Spicy Mayo (see recipe below)
Unagi sauce (find this at an Asian grocery, looks like this https://www.amazon.com/Kikkoman-Unagi-Sushi-Sauce-11-8/dp/B00AOQDMJ6)
Crabsticks (shredded)
Scallions
Tobiko (fish eggs found in frozen section of Asian grocery)

Spicy Mayo:
Lots of different recipes, but start out with this. You can add a bit of lime juice, sesame oil or fish eggs as different variations, or decrease the amount of Sriracha depending on your tastes.
Mix 2 Tbsps of Sriracha with 2 Tbsps of mayo and 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil (you could buy Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, which has a sweeter tang to it, but I think regular mayo is fine here).

Pizza Assembly:

Coarsely chop tuna and mix with spicy mayo to taste.

Spread tuna mixture on pita, drizzle with unagi sauce, top with shredded crabsticks, and garnish with sliced scallions and tobiko. Enjoy!

Please note: This is not an official recipe. Also don't be swayed into thinking you need "sushi grade" fish. This term is unregulated and most fish have to be flash frozen anyway to meet standards. Buy good quality fish from wholey's or Penn ave fish co in the strip and you'll be fine.

is this shirojoyu? I've been eyeing it for tare for white broths but it's quite expensive. Are there any other benefits to the white version?

also awesome writeup, thank you!

Top your rice and fried egg with fried shallots and sweet soy sauce Typical Indonesian breakfast (caveat: am not Indonesian).

Or, a pretty basic fried rice is rice, egg, scallions, and whatever meat you like (Spam works great if you’re looking for cheap!). You can find all sorts of heated debate about the best way to make fried rice on Reddit and elsewhere on the internet.

I enjoy double black soy. This might sound like a johnny walker joke, but it is a thicker soy, with molasses in there as well for some sweetness. for example: http://www.amazon.com/Koon-Chun-Double-Black-Sauce/dp/B00012OI0U

Yamasa is pretty common in the Pacific Northwest but hard/impossible to find elsewhere in the country.

Like others, I find Kikkoman too salty, Yamasa has a much better balance.

Amazon carries it... but apparently not in the big jug I usually buy.

http://www.amazon.com/Yamasa-Soy-Sauce-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B008530FCM/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1463525925&sr=1-1&keywords=yamasa+soy+sauce

I'll give you the recipe that I use, and it's a goddamn touchdown every single time. Everyone loves it!

​

First you make the spicy miso paste (throw everything in a blender and mix it)

• 1/2 cup (130 grams) of white miso paste
  
• 1/2 cup (130 grams) of red miso paste
  
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) of sichuan douban chili paste
  
• 1 small (or 3/4 medium) onion, cut into chunks
  
• 6 cloves of garlic, smashed
  
• 2″ (33 grams) of ginger, cut into chunks
  
• 3 tbsp (60 grams) of mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
  
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
  
• 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
  
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
  
• 2 tsp (17 grams) of sesame paste (if Asian brands are unavailable, use tahini)
  
  Mix all this in the blender and your miso paste is DONE. The above amount is for about 8 servings.
  
  ​
  
  Spicy miso ramen: (for 2 servings)
  
  
• You can add pretty much any toppings you like, it's ramen, anything goes!
  
• 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
  
• 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 tbsp of dried shitake mushrooms
  
• 2 cups (475 grams) of unsalted chicken or pork stock
  
• 1 cup (227 grams) of unsweetened, unflavoured soy milk (Asian brands preferred but if unavailable, this will do, too)
  
• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup of spicy miso paste
  
• 2 servings of fresh ramen noodles
  
• 4 tbsp of finely diced scallions
  
• 1 sheet of nori/Japanese sushi seaweed, cut into rectangular sheets
  
• Whatever veggies or extra toppings you want to add
  
  In a large soup pot, heat up 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil on high heat and add some chopped shitake, unsalted stock and unsweetened soy milk and bring to a simmer.
  
  Place 1/2 cup spicy miso paste on top of a very fine sieve.  Lower the sieve half-way into the simmering soup and use a spoon to slowly dissolve the paste into the soup (it may seem very thick and troublesome in the beginning but be patient, it’ll dissolve eventually).  You’d be surprised at how much “solids” within the paste will remain on top of the sieve, which if dumped directly into the soup, will make the soup very thick and “sauce-like”.
  
  ​
  
  Discard the “solids” in the sieve and let the soup simmer for another 5 min.  If the soup tastes quite salty at this point, that is correct.  It’s Japanese ramen…  It is salty.
  
  
  Now you can start adding your other toppings while keeping in mind their cooking times. I add bean sprouts, green beans, spinach, mushrooms, ... (sometimes I'll just throw in whatever leftover veggies I can find)
  
  Cook the Ramen noodles seperately & assemble everything into one big bowl of deliciousness.
  
  Original recipe from http://ladyandpups.com/2014/01/04/spicy-miso-ramen-express-eng/ but veganized. Enjoy.

I don't know how this will work for skinless chicken, but I have done it with a cut-up whole fryer.
Minced garlic, fresh squeezed juice from the fruit, with some grated rind nixed into [Coconut Aminos]
(https://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Raw-Aminos/dp/B003XB5LMU)

I marinate with that for several hours......the coconut aminos is a great product.

What exactly didn't you like about how your broth came out?

The recipe looks solid. My two big recommendations I give (through plenty of trial and error) is be sure you blanch and wash the bones thoroughly. Even if it doesn't really affect the flavor, it definitely affects the color, and presentation counts (even if it's just for you).

Beyond that, if you can find it, try using a mix of regular and white soy sauce in your tare. This white shoyu from Takumi is my personal favorite. Besides it also helping keep the broth lighter, it adds a little more complexity to the flavor of your broth.

That's more like it. If you can find it, use cane vinegar for best results. I'm a big fan of this brand. You should be able to find a vinegar/soy sauce bundle from them, too. Also, I would use more than one bay leaf.

Edit: here's the bundle.

Basically, just make some spiced-up lentils and cook down to a thick sauce that stays on a hotdog. I'll try to write up what i did:

-1 cup lentils

-a few small chuncks of salt pork

-half an onion

-clove of garlic

-spices - paprika, cumin, turmeric, dried oregano, cayenne, black pepper

-spoonful of ketchup

-spoon of [okonomiyaki sauce] (http://www.amazon.com/Okonomi-Sauce-17-6oz-by-Otafuku/dp/B00886NJP6) (I realize how dumb this sounds, but I'll be damned if these lentils didn't taste a lot like what you get on a coney dog. I just happen to live near a Japanese grocery, so I use this kind of stuff.)

-spoon of brown sugar

-little worcestershire and hot sauce

Boil lentils and salt pork for 20-25 minutes, until mostly tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed/evaporated.

In a separate pan, saute onion in vegetable oil for 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, spices, ketchup and that japanese sauce if you have it. Cook for about a minute, stir in some water to clean up the pan, then add the mixture to lentils.

Cook to desired consistency, adding water if necessary. Finish with worcestershire and a vinegar-y hot sauce, and salt if it needs it.

I've been liking this better than regular chili lately. I probably just have a thing for lentils. I have no qualms about adding extra meat - the dog was bacon-wrapped. The lentils are damn good, and add some much-welcome fiber to the situation.

hope you like it

In his accompanying video at 12:00, he says that the dark soy sauce is similar to kecap manis, which is a sweetened soy sauce used in Malaysian and Indonesian foods. If you are not sure of the Healthy Boy items, you might look for kecap manis. I can recommend the ABC brand. Or if it helps, you can look up the ingredients in the Healthy Boy products and compare them to kecap manis -- on my bottle of ABC, the ingredients are listed as: Palm sugar, water, salt, soybean, wheat, sodium benzoate.

I don't know much about Japanese cooking, but this is a soy free soy sauce, but does contain coconut which isn't technically a nut. https://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Soy-Free-Seasoning/dp/B003XB5LMU

Also, I really like this site for desserts and snacks. http://petiteallergytreats.com/

There is a soysauce alternative https://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Soy-Free-Seasoning/dp/B003XB5LMU?th=1

There are brands that make allergy free food, like Enjoy Life.

i keep soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and soy paste on hand...but the soy paste is becoming increasingly difficult to find locally even here in socal. and it's not like i'm shopping for them in some random ethnic food store...i'm literally looking for them in chinese supermarkets.

but tbh i've been using soy sauce less and less and using sweet soy sauce more and more...it's just so much more versatile in marinades and it's even good as an added flavor to ramen, soups etc.

providing amazon links but go to an asian grocer cause it'll be half the price

"dark soy sauce" is slightly thicker than light and has a sweeter, saltier flavor. you can find it in most stores jsut look for something that says dark soy sauce https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-River-Bridge-Superior-Sauce/dp/B0001EJ4C0/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=dark+soy+sauce&qid=1558822716&s=gateway&sr=8-3

soy paste is even thicker. sometimes called "thick soy sauce" i think https://www.amazon.com/Kimlan-Soy-Paste-20-oz/dp/B003Q3GGGU/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=soy+paste&qid=1558822888&s=gateway&sr=8-4 or https://www.amazon.com/Koon-Chun-Thick-Soy-Sauce/dp/B00012OI14

not sure about the brand. i usually like koon chun or pearl river bridge. maybe try asking someone at the restaurant :)

I wasn't suggesting you use tonkatsu sauce. I was actually suggesting you look for general-purpose chuunou sauce, like the type pictured in the OP.

It's all thick, brown, Worcestershire-based sauce. But if you really, really care about finding an okonomiyaki sauce specifically, Otafuku's okonomi sauce is vegan according the Amazon customer questions.

I've never made it without black vinegar, but I can't imagine it working out with any of those substitutes. You can just use Amazon though. Same for the dark soy sauce.

Honestly it's probably not worth it to make without those, I imagine it would be pretty disappointing. My mom always did that when I was a kid. "This recipe just isn't very good, I don't get it." but also "Well I didn't have x,y, or z, so I just substituted the closest thing I had."

Any of these sauces on Google images will work as they are made specifically for yakisoba (焼そば).

Amazon also sells Otafuku brand yakisoba sauce for $9. It's pretty pricey considering these 500ml bottles go for $4 in Japan, but like anything that is actually Japanese on Amazon (not the stuff that is claimed to be Japanese but is actually Chinese) you're paying a premium because of import. Everything tends to cost double its value and yakisoba sauce is no different. Also, if the seller is located in Japan, expect it to be delivered in 3-4 weeks.

Edit: fixed link

First thought is that it could be one of the Japanese "roux-sauces", though those usually come in little bricks, not powders. Most common are the Japanese curry sauces, but others include things like Hayashi rice or just plain beef stew. It might have also had something like tonkatsu sauce or yakisoba sauce in it.

As someone who tried for a while to recreate a Chinese dish from overseas, I researched the hell out of it. Turns out, most of the ingredients that I bought that were cheap and lasted forever and seemed like "specialty items" but actually were the most common things among any sort of asian cooking and could be crossed over to do asian fusion in traditional dishes. At the bare minimum I recommend Sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and dark soy sauce.

I don't see dark soy sauce used in many recipes in gif form, but it's basically a condensed and sweetened soy sauce. It's very thick and almost thin syrup, but it has so many applications and is used heavily in traditional chinese and surrounding regions recipes. I can't ever find mine locally but you can buy an 18oz bottle on amazon for like $8. (link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001EJ4C0/)

There's some that are aged for extra time. Maybe artisanal is a better word. They're not expensive but definitely more than a bottle of say, Kikkoman (around $20). Just curious if there's a noticeable difference before pay $20+ for a bottle off in internet.

Edit: Stuff like this: https://www.amazon.com/Yamaroku-Years-Sauce-Tsuru-Bisiho/dp/B01BO9M2XI?th=1

It’s this one and I’m pretty sure it’s because of the worstershire (sp) for the sardines and also the oysters. Anything that comes out of the water sets me off, the kelp extract probably adds a bit too.

This is your best bet, you can find it at whole foods/local health food stores or order it online for the cheapest at iherb or for the most convenient on amazon.

Just wanted to chime in and say that coconut aminos are a paleo-friendly (and delicious!) substitute for soy sauce. This recipe looks yummy!

JSYK, you can order the salt and the soy sauce she samples in the show. I've tried the soy sauce and I very much enjoy it. I have not yet ordered the salt.

Skip that stuff and get Tamari, Kikkoman and San-J both make it, and it comes to 1g carb per Tbsp. It's also got a much deeper flavor than regular soy sauce.

Also, I only linked Amazon for reference, the price is much better at your local grocery store.

You can follow this recipe. :) normally I put whatever vege I have left over/feel like eating. I love it with capsicum but my husband hates it haha.
Sometimes I replace the pork with ham or sausages.

If you find it a hassle to make your own sauce, you can buy it here. 🍜

KLASS seasoning is good on rice and veggies. I use it constantly.

Eel sauce is good on rice. It has a way of making plain rice taste fancy.

Unfortunately I didn't know about these when I was living on cheap rice and canned veggies.

They’re talking about this. It’s a soy/gluten free replacement for soy sauce, essentially.

There are gluten free soy sauces available at asian supermarkets (or amazon)

Tell your wife she is welcome? Tada!

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaroku-Years-Sauce-Tsuru-Bisiho/dp/B01BO9M2XI

The last company to brew soy sauce traditionally. Well worth the cost! This is the yard stick to measure all others with.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079X4S7ZF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yuaYCb8Y653S3

This is the exact one we also had the low sodium one as well.

But imo if you truly wanna step up your game go with tamari it's a more crafted soy sauce made purely from soy beans instead of being made mixed with wheat, steeper price and steeper quality

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GQYXTC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cAaYCbV19CSB0

Get some of this. You know it's good when the ingredients and nutritional information is half in another language.

This lady provides the recipes (Osaka / Hiroshima) and recommends ingredients (such as the sauce) that you can buy over at Amazon (sauce, mayo). Or how to prepare a "substitute" yourself.

u/DameBluntsALot

Here you go! It's only about $2 more than I pay for in store so call that the cost of shipping and it's a good price.

Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce) - 600 ml(20.2-Ounce)by ABC. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00886AVOI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cgZ3DbQ8KVMY0

To keep on this, replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos. It's a little sweeter, but it's pretty close while still maintaining the savory addition of soy sauce and an added plus: no tyramine.

I've used Yamasa and been happy with it. It's definitely milder than Kikkoman. They have a US presence, but it can be tough to find locally - fortunately, it's also available from Amazon.

Do what I do and grill 5x6oz portions of chicken. Cut them up and place into plastic contains on top of a cup of brown rice. Add some steamed veggies and 2 tablespoons of teriyaki glaze. I use this or this. Freeze 3 and have one a day for lunch.

Sometimes I make extra and keep them in the freezer, then I add other stuff like beans and chicken, chicken and marinara with veggies, grilled chicken and veggies, Fajita veggies and chicken, with some mexican rice, chicken chili verde, etc. Eventually you get to a point where you have 20-30 little containers in the freezer and you just make food once a week with tons of choices for later.

Yeah I'm mirin

Dashi’s a powder. Ajinomoto Soup Stock Hondashi https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CNU0C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7YxACb2XE8JD2

Mirin’s the cooking wine equivalent of sake. You don’t need sake for most Asian dishes, Mirin is fine.
Kikkoman Manjo Aji Mirin, 17 fl oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002YB210/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vZxACbX79D8WW

Or Coconut Aminos which tastes like Soy, but only has 1g Carb per Tsp.
http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Vegan-Aminos/dp/B003XB5LMU

So what you specifically want is something called Kecap Manis which is similar to but not quite the same as Dark Soy Sauce you might find regularly - it has more caramel flavour.

Coconut Aminos: http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Soy-Free-Seasoning/dp/B003XB5LMU

https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-River-Bridge-Superior-Light/product-reviews/B0002CPC22/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_hist_1?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=one_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar

You can always use coconut liquid aminos as a soy sub.

http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Aminos-Soy-Free-Seasoning/dp/B003XB5LMU

http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Vegan-Aminos/dp/B003XB5LMU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406590730&sr=8-1&keywords=coconut+aminos

I used kishibori shoyu and yamasa whole bean shoyu, along with some fancy mirin and tamari, which I can't remember now

https://www.amazon.com/Okonomi-Sauce-17-6oz-by-Otafuku/dp/B00886NJP6

An alternative to soy sauce

https://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Raw-Aminos/dp/B003XB5LMU

If you wanna be real serious you can buy tonkatsu sauce or okonomi sauce which is more frequently used in okonomiyaki (the two sauces are extremely similar but not quite the same). You can often find them at Asian grocers too.

>but if I have an issue with soy, I'm definitely in trouble

I started getting severe gluten-esque symptoms with soy after going gluten free. I found coconut aminos recently and they taste the same to me with no ill-effects

http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Vegan-Aminos/dp/B003XB5LMU

the bloating is likely from all of the sodium. not sure what's in the veggie broth, but most broths are very high sodium, and miso has a ton of sodium. Most asian style sauces (like soy sauce) do. If you want a similar sauce for veggies that's lower sodium, check out coconut aminos. Their garlic sauce is even lower sodium and better IMO. it's garlicky and a little spicy.

I got it from Stop and Shop. I’m not sure where else they sell it.
Edit. They also sell it on amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XB5LMU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_3SBCCbVQT6N0Q

It's wicked expensive but coconut aminos is the same thing but single sourced. It tastes almost identical to soy sauce.