Soy sauce

　　I've ever been to several countries. During the stay, I often visited local supermarkets to get local foods and drinks. At that time, I came across a certain Japanese product at every supermarket. Guess what? ..... It's "Soy Sauce", shouyu in Japanese. I'm talking about soy sauce this time.

　　Soy sauce is a multi-purpose condiment essential to Japanese cooking. Sushi and sashimi are dipped in soy sauce before eating. Sukiyaki meat smells and tastes great because it's seasoned with soy sauce.
　　There are many kinds of soy sauce. The Koikuchi variety is the most common one. It's dark in color and has a strong aroma. The Usukuchi variety is pale. It's perfect for accentuating the tastes and colors of the natural ingredients. Do you know the traditional way of making soy sauce?
　　First you need steamed soybeans and roasted wheat. A type of mold, called kojikin, is added to them, and the ingredients are carefully mixed. Left for a few days, the mold breeds, and the culture is now called koji.
　　Next, a solution of salt in water is added to the koji. The resulting mixture, called moromi, will turn into soy sauce. When left in vats for a few months, the moromi undergoes the chemical change known as fermentation.
　　The mold breaks down the protein in the soybeans to make amino acids, which are responsible for producing umami. There are many fermented food products in Japan, such as miso, natto, and sake -- and soy sauce is one of them.
　　Some soy sauce producers let their moromi mature for as long as 5 years. Making soy sauce requires a lot of labor as well. For instance, the moromi needs to be stirred thoroughly to let oxygen penetrate evenly. This promotes fermentation. When the maturation process is complete, the moromi is strained through cloth. What comes out is soy sauce. A great deal of time and effort goes into making delicious soy sauce.
　　These days, the use of soy sauce is not limited to Japanese cuisine. In French cuisine, for example, it's used to add flavor to certain dishes. In the U.S., it's a key ingredient of teriyaki sauce.
　　A traditional condiment in Japan, soy sauce has crossed national borders and is now an essential element in many cuisine around the world.

(From comments)
mainstay  (経済・文化などの) 柱（となるもの）, 支え /  (集団・組織の) 精神的支柱, 大黒柱
catch on  気づく, わかる / 人気が出る, 流行する

(和訳)
和食に欠かせない万能調味料、しょうゆ。
寿司や刺身は、そのままつけて食べます。すき焼きの肉に香ばしい風味を添えるのも、しょうゆです。
しょうゆには、多くの種類があります。一般的によく使われるのが、濃い口です。色が濃く、香りも強いしょうゆです。薄口は色が淡く、食材が持つ味と色合いを生かすときに使います。
しょうゆを使い分けることで、料理の味と美しさがより引き立ちます。
伝統的なしょうゆ作りの行程を見てみましょう。

原料となるのは、蒸した大豆と炒った小麦。ここに麹菌と呼ばれるカビの一種を加え、丁寧に混ぜ合わせます。数日経つと麹菌が繁殖します。この状態を麹と呼びます。そこに塩水を加えると、しょうゆのもととなる「もろみ」の出来上がりです。

これを桶に入れて数ヶ月おくと、発酵と呼ばれる化学変化が起きます。麹菌が大豆のタンパク質を分解し、うまみ成分となるアミノ酸を作り出すのです。みそ、納豆、日本酒など、多くの日本の食品は発酵を利用して作られます。しょうゆもそうした食品の一つです。

作り手によっては５年もかけて、じっくりと熟成させていきます。さらに、人の手間も欠かせません。桶の底までかき回すことでまんべんなく酸素を送り、発酵を促します。熟成が終わったものを布でこすと、ようやくしょうゆの完成です。長い時間と人の労力。手間暇をかけることで、おいしいしょうゆが出来上がるのです。

最近、しょうゆは和食以外でも使われています。フランス料理では隠し味として活用され、アメリカではテリヤキソースの元として親しまれています。

日本の伝統的な調味料、しょうゆは、今や国境を越えた味となっています。

 

Comments

[KUMO]

Hi, Shiroi_Tora

I agree with you. Thank you.

[Shiroi Tora]

And love it...we do.

Japanese Cuisine is one of the most delicious and healthful cuisines the world has to offer.

Although I have always eaten Japanese food as my mainstay....the rest of America is catching on...slowly....but is catching on.

Our health and lifespan statistics would rise, dramatically, were we to have a Japanese food based diet.