Talk:Soy sauce/Archive 1

Changes
Brags "liquid aminos" is using the hydrochloric acid hydrolysis method. They mention they do not add table salt. But they merely neutralize the HCl with sodium hydroxide (making the salt). Its an artificial soya sauce (With the same potential carcinogen danger.)http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2005/06/bragg_liquid_am.html

I took the liberty of making some major changes to this page, though I am far from an authority on the subject. My changes are slightly biased towards both the Japanese and Chinese forms of the sauce, as opposed to any other types that may exist. I decided to remove the external link regarding the japanese characters representing soy sauce, as the link really only has relevance to japanese language, as opposed to soy sauce. Here's the link, just in case: Script

In terms of improvements to this entry, I believe there is a need for more information about the usage of soy sauce outside of japanese/chinese cuisine.


 * I'd also like to see how soy sauce is made. --zandperl 04:50, 23 Feb 2004 (UTC)


 * Yes, perhaps a link to a step by step recipe? I know that it's a complicated process, but I think it would be enlightening to see the actual process step by step.


 * Likewise, but the 'Making soy sauce at home' section didn't contain this, or any concrete information, so is removed BarryNorton 16:53, 11 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I don't think there's any need to delete it, it just needs to be expanded. LDHan 18:59, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

Also, the origin of the world "soy" doesn't really belong here, since we can point to soybeans as the primary component of soy sauce. This kind of etymology might belong in soybean, but even then, I wonder at its appropriateness here. Also, what does ?? mean? The English word "soy" came from the word "Soi" (そい) of the Satsuma dialect of Japanese.
 * The etymology of soybean shows that 'soy' comes from the name of sauce, not from the bean; the bean was named for the sauce. Therefore, the etymology is worth nothing. --64.142.75.215 11:30, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

A useful comparison for information on the Japanese sauces is http://www.japanweb.co.uk/listing/soy.htm. However, this was not used as a source (despite the similarities in the description of soy sauce varieties), as more accurate japanese resources were at hand.

There is also a need to cover the general production process of the sauce, so the variations can be discussed from the context of the standard procedure. There appears to be much more literature on the japanese process, so that is probably the best starting point. Lenny-au

Can "Shōyu" be hypenated like this? (Shō-yu) - It says so in my Shonen Jump magazine. WhisperToMe 06:13, 15 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I can provide some information on the production of Korean soy sauce(called ganjang(간장)). I won't incorporate it into the main article since I don't know much about Chinese and Japanese methods. I'm hoping someone familiar with other methods would expand the main article with comparisons. Any how, there are three main methods of making soy sauce in Korea: traditional, culture induced, and soy protein method. In traditional method, soy sauce is produced in the process of making doenjang(된장), Korean fermented soy bean paste. In the process of making doenjang, meju(메주), ground soy bean molded into brick forms and then fermented, is steeped in brine for 40-60 days for second fermentation before liquid portion is separated to become soy sauce. The solid matter left over is what becomes doenjang incidentally. There are some regional variations where some additional ingredients such as sweet potatoes or chili peppers are added during the steeping process. Sometimes the meju is steeped in soy sauce instead of plain brine to increase the flavor intensity. The soy sauce made from the traditional method is called Joseon Ganjang(조선간장). Second method uses mixture of wheat and soy/defatted soy combined with starter culture before going through fermentation. The soy sauce made from this method is called yangjo ganjang(양조간장). Commercially produced soy sauce employing this method but with 100% soy is also called joseon ganjang. Third method involves artificially breaking down the soy protein and usually doesn't involve fermentation. Soy sauce produced with this method is called sanboonhae ganjang(산분해 간장). Soy sauces that are mixture of yangjo ganjang and sanboonhae ganjang are also marketed. There are also soy sauces with added ingredients and soy sauces that are aged. I should add a note that joseon ganjang is considered a sub category of yangjo ganjang. I separated it here to distinguish the method used at homes traditionally as yanjo ganjang is strictly a realm of commercial production. 12.203.34.186 10:56, 25 February 2006 (UTC)PJ

The main source of umami? As a Japanese, I regard dried tuna (Katsuobushi, John Lennon's "Shaved Fish") as the primary source of umami (perfectly natural sodium glutamate). And some seaweeds(such as kombu). Sodium glutamate was found by a Japanese scientist from them. Chikumaya (talk) 12:05, 5 December 2010 (UTC)

Ketjap
The Indonesian ketjap is not mentioned. It is used extensively in Indonesian cuisine. Anyone have more to add? JFW | T@lk  23:05, 15 Aug 2004 (UTC)


 * Isn't that more related to ketchup? --Menchi 23:55, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Kanji & Grading
Ketchup & th:& are two different birds-can anyone type Thai.

Likewise I could have gone on to say how Worcestershire and Maggi don't use soy because these were imitations to suffice for the lack of shoyu in Europe at the time. Just as there is a hundred ways to transliterate ketjap-so to with shou-yu. Accursed romaji for text, we should use their phonetic alphabet しょうゆ.

Added more to Japanese Soy Sauce, Addition of alcohol as preservative, and gave a mention to kecap...I know there is Chinese for kecap, but to find it with Engrish.

My head is spinning now from keeping track of three character sets will post more on the recipe shortly. Schlüggell 20:38, 17 Mar 2005 (UTC)

"thin" & "sweet" soy sauce
A soy sauce that is called in English thin soy sauce or light soy sauce is mentioned in the bilingual (Chinese-English) cookbook Thai Cooking Made Easy by Sukhum (Ken) Kittivech published by Wei-Chan Cooking School (of Taiwan). The Chinese name for this is 白醤油.

Another sauce mentioned is called sweet soy sauce in English & 甜醤油 in Chinese.

Question: how do these two Thai soy sauces differ from Chinese and Japanese soy sauces?

thank you

p.s. If it helps, the cookbooks says the following:


 * Sweet soy sauce (caramel) is often used to enhance the color of a dish. Soy sauce or dark soy sauce may be substituted for both white and sweet soy sauce.

There are Chinese molasses sweetened soy sauces called Black or extra black soy sauce. Wei-Chuan is also an asian food company that makes soy sauce, they may have some answers if you are looking for something specific. Whitebox (talk) 13:42, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Antioxidant Properties of Soy Sauce
Upon reading reading an article regarding this subject & reading this article on soy sauce, I felt this page would benefit from adding the following information:

"Scientists have found that soy sauce contains antioxidant properties about 10 times more effective than red wine and 150 times more potent than vitamin C. Antioxidants, found in red wine, fruits and vegetables, counter the effects of free radicals, unstable atoms which attack human cells and tissues. Free radicals have been linked to the aging process as well as a range of ailments including Parkinson's disease, cancer and heart disease. The National University of Singapore study also found that the sauce improved blood flow by as much as 50 percent in the hours after consumption. "There's a preventative aspect, showing that it may potentially slow down the rate of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases," research team leader Professor Barry Halliwell said. But he cautioned against taking large amounts of dark soy sauce because of its high salt content, which could lead to high blood pressure"

Source: http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=SIN326495


 * I think this would be a bit of stretching even with various health benefits of antioxidant. Drinking 10 times more volume in red wine is far too easier. --Revth 06:59, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Hair Soy Sauce
Hair Soy Sauce: A Revolting Alternative to the Conventional

[ http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijto/vol2n1/soy.xml Alexander Tse-Yan Lee: Hair Soy Sauce: A Revolting Alternative to the Conventional. The Internet Journal of Toxicology. 2005. Volume 2 Number 1.]

the above paper cites this article as a reference. --Paul E. Ester 17:15, 28 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Assuming this story is still considered true, it needs to be put into context. Does the report name the company? What was the size of the company? How much of this soy sauce was manufactured? Were these products exported? As is, the inclusion of this apparently minor story seems to be purely for shock value. Ham Pastrami (talk) 18:51, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

Sounds like an urban legend
Unfortunately the provided link no longer works. Doing some looking around on the 'net I can only find references to the article, rather than any further evidence to suggest it's reality. Searching on the author's name turns up ( http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,1855068,00.html ) which suggests that Alexander has done a number of bizarre-food studies, yet I can't find any (working) links to these either.

I suggest that without further corroboration, we assume that Alexander has withdrawn his research and that other food experts have not confirmed his findings.

A big argument against the likelihood of this story involves considering the comparitive costs of sourcing, collecting, transporting and sorting the hair from other waste vs the cost of growing (or importing), transporting and fermenting the soy beans. I'd be surprised if the hair solution could be cheaper even in China. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 210.23.138.169 (talk • contribs).

No. It's not an urban legend. China Central Television broke the story in 2004. I found the original article on the China Central Television website and updated the Wikipedia article with a link to the reference. It's in Chinese, but it's pretty readable if you use Altavista Babelfish translator. With all their food safety PR problems lately, hopefully the Chinese government won't kill the link. Frzl 12:38, 5 July 2007 (UTC)

Doesn't belong in this article
Urban legend or reality, this is not a "type" of soy sauce. Here's the text removed (by Archelon 23:57, 19 August 2007 (UTC)) from the article, in case anyone wants it:


 * Hair soy sauce: In 2004 it was determined that at least one Chinese producer of soy sauce was using amino acids derived from human hair. China Central Television ran an investigative report in January of 2004 that looked into a Hubei province factory that manufactured the inexpensive sauce. It was discovered that they were using a liquid amino acid extracted from human hair. The amino acid was made by a manufacturer that obtained hair from various sources, which included barber shops and local hospital waste.

I agree, it shouldn't be in the article, not a "type" of soy sauce. LDHan 13:22, 20 August 2007 (UTC)

Etymology
To the comment earlier about the origin of the word 'soy' not belonging here, I was under the impression that 'soybeans' got their name from 'soy sauce', not the other way around. If that's true, then wouldn't the definition belong here?


 * Both the dictionary and the wikipedia article on soybeans agree with this etymology. Might nab the sentence from the soybeans article if you want to add it in. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.102.196.37 (talk) 06:37, 11 April 2007 (UTC).

Worchester Sauce
As there is no soy sauce in Worchester Sauce (as commented above) I will remove the comment from the page, unless anyone objects. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Ewan carmichael (talk • contribs) 06:19, 28 January 2007 (UTC).
 * Okay, it looks like some Worchester Sauce recipies DO contain soy sauce, so I won't remove the comment!Ewan carmichael 08:47, 3 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Worchester? What is worchester? Is there a Wikilink? 95.151.120.191 (talk) 10:20, 13 March 2018 (UTC)

Color
What does the dark brown-black color come from? Like coffee or stout, does it come from the roasting of the soybeans before brewing? Badagnani 02:46, 30 January 2007 (UTC)
 * JP article states that it's mainly due to the Maillard reaction. Additional coloring might be achieved by using other means.--Revth 02:21, 14 November 2007 (UTC)


 * Note: Soybeans come in two colors -- gold and black. Softlavender (talk) 07:22, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

pii
Why does pii redirect to soy sauce? What the hell is pii?Randy6767 20:57, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

Chaozhou
Can anyone figure out the Chaozhou loanword for see ew at Pad see ew? Badagnani 23:33, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

Can you die from drinking a cup of soy sauce? Jack D
CAN YOU DIE FROM DRINKING ONE CUP OF SOY SAUCE?

JACK D —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.230.102.99 (talk) 03:47, 13 November 2007 (UTC)


 * No. But if you drink a whole bottle of it, it will give all sorts of bad values in a health check. When a draft system of enlistment existed in Japan, there were rumors of people who drunk soy sauce so they could be disqualified in a health check and not be drafted. Also, you actually get drunk if you somehow managed to drink a whole bottle. --Revth 02:14, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

Can you die from drinking a cup of soup broth or salt? There's your answer. Whitebox (talk) 13:47, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

You won't die of excessive salt intake, but you may die of thirst!! jjchoo (talk) 09:52, 29 August 2008 (UTC)
 * You can died if not treated. See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2337777/After-chugging-QUART-soy-sauce-student-survive-sodium-overdose-brain-damage.html http://theweek.com/articles/463400/yes-drinking-quart-soy-sauce-probably-kill Yosri (talk) 06:38, 9 February 2017 (UTC)

Taiwan
Article states only light soy sauce used in Taiwan. I have a bottle KIMLAN Dark soy sauce (from Taiwan) sitting on my table. So something doesn't jive. Doolin (talk) 18:34, 21 January 2008 (UTC)

Why didn't you fix it? Whitebox (talk) 13:45, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Dubai - Expensive Soy Sauce
L' Chepeau Soy Sauce is selling for $500 per 6oz bottle in Dubai. Has anyone tried this soy sauce, nicknamed El Cheapo Soy Sauce, or seen it for sale in Dubai: chepeau.com

Korean soy sauce, "kanjang" or "ganjang" - same thing?
The writer suddenly introduces the word "kanjang", without any explanation, at the end of this section (copied below). Is it a typo? Did they mean "ganjang"? Or is it interchangeable with "ganjang"?

"Korean soy sauce, or Joseon ganjang (조선간장) is a byproduct of the production of doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste). Joseon ganjang, thin and dark brown in color, is made entirely of soy and brine, and has a saltiness that varies according to the producer. Wide scale use of Joseon ganjang has been somewhat superseded by cheaper factory-made Japanese style soy sauce, called waeganjang (hangul: 왜간장/倭간장). However, many Koreans continued to use the soy sauce native to their culture. According to the 2001 national food consumption survey in Korea, traditional fermented kanjang comprised only 1.4% of soy sauce purchases.[3]"

Also it doesn't make much sense to write that "many Koreans continued to use the soy sauce native to their culture" and then quote "the 2001 national food consumption survey in" Korea's finding that "traditional fermented kanjang [assuming this means ganjang] comprised only 1.4% of soy sauce purchases". 1/4% of the population isn't really "many".

It would be great if someone knowledgable in this area could fix this up. Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tyranny Sue (talk • contribs) 05:52, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Amakuchi and koikuchi
If amakuchi is a variant of koikuchi, what makes it a variant? The article does not explain that.

ICE77 (talk) 17:58, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

soy sauce vs. soya sauce
Intro to the article says:
 * Soy sauce (US and UK), soya sauce (Commonwealth)

Which Commonwealth countries call it soya sauce? In Australia, soy sauce is more common (nowadays at least). In which countries is it regularly called soya sauce instead? --SJK (talk) 08:32, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

In Canada it used to be called soya sauce, but seems to be called soy sauce now. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 169.1.16.81 (talk) 14:00, 8 June 2018 (UTC)


 * In the 1948 book The Plague and I by Betty MacDonald, reference is made to the shoya sauce that her oriental roommate Kimi liked to keep in the cabinet under her nightstand. If this is an early use of the term, should it be added to the main article, as an instance of usage, or should it be mentioned in the definition in Wiktionary?   Shoya appears to be an intermediate form between soy and shoyu.   I can't tell if the instance was supposed to be comical in nature (this being a work of popular fiction intended for general consumption), or symbolic of authenticism.   Dexter Nextnumber (talk) 20:56, 11 November 2009 (UTC)


 * In the UK, I've only ever heard{fact} it called soya sauce. 62.172.108.23 (talk) 10:37, 17 November 2009 (UTC)


 * In the UK, it was always called soy sauce when I was younger, to the extent that 'soy sauce' was a known thing and 'soya' was a known thing and it was a long time before I realised there was any connection (I only realised because I became aware that Americans seemed to call soya soy). Scatterkeir (talk) 11:54, 26 April 2020 (UTC)


 * As a separate issue, it is known as shoyu in Hawai'i. Wakablogger2 (talk) 19:55, 17 November 2009 (UTC)


 * I think you would find it hard to get examples of it being called soya sauce in the UK now. Bottles of the sauce and published recipes which include it always call it soy sauce Sbishop (talk) 16:10, 18 October 2020 (UTC)Sbishop

Aspergillus sojae
Regarding the red link at the beginning of the article, I am not qualified to create a page on Aspergillus sojae but there is a ton of information and sources here if anyone cares to do it: mic.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/71/1/29.pdf

Philg88 (talk) 06:52, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

Japanese? American?
Perhaps a minor quibble, but this article has a photo entitled "A bottle of Japanese soy sauce" but the bottle in question appears to be American soy sauce. Kikkomon is a multinational company, and in the second half of the 1950's a lonely Japanese salesman travelled to the U.S. and spread the gospel of soy sauce. I've seen a Japanese documentary (perhaps NHK) on his exploits. Some time around 1957 Kikkomon USA was established. (See the company web site.) There appear to be two production facilities in the U.S. (HQ in San Francisco, production facilities in Folsom CA and Walworth WI, and various offices elsewhere.)  I suspect nearly all Kikkomon soy sauce sold in the U.S. or Canada is manufactured in the U.S.  This is not to imply any significant difference between the Japanese and American products, although my Japanese wife claims there are slight differences.

Philg88 (talk) 06:52, 31 May 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Steven M. Haflich (talk • contribs)
 * I am glad someone else noticed this. In fact, Kikoman is an American company. It is not on par with any other. Too salty, much like the Vietnamese variety. I will admit it is Japanese style, but Japanese, it is not. 13:24, 23 February 2011 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.91.36.12 (talk)

On another note, I feel that the "production" section under "Japanese Soy Sauce" is poorly translated. Perhaps this can be worked on in the future?

Condiment or sauce ?
The first line states "Soy sauce (also called soya sauce) is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus soyae molds, along with water and salt." --> I would personally change this to: "Soy sauce (also called soya sauce) is a sauce produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus soyae molds, along with brine (or salted water)."

The reason for this is that "A condiment is sauce or seasoning added to food to impart a particular flavor or to complement the dish."; hence I would thus use sauce in the term, but mention condiment at the end, as in "it is used in Asian cuisine as a condiment" 91.182.242.10 (talk) 14:02, 20 December 2010 (UTC)
 * we can only speak of a condiment if it changes the flavor of the dish distinctively; this also means that the term "condiment" generally refers to how the substance is used, rather than being a specific type of substance.

Torture tool?
Not sure at all if it is worth a note, and I found no hint much yet but I heard somewhere. long ago, that there was a medieval (Sangoku or Tokugawa eras) japanese torture using a knife to make hole wounds, bamboo tubes and boiling soy sauce. Horrifyingly painfull. Maybe a scholar of japanese hsitory could confirm or infirm this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.57.100.110 (talk) 08:18, 31 January 2011 (UTC)

Hypernatremia
First of all, we do not agree that this information is suitable for the lede section of the article. Secondly, we don't think it really belongs in the article at all. But if it belongs anywhere on Wikipedia, it must be well-sourced according to the guideline at Identifying reliable sources (medicine). This guideline is stricter than the policy of WP:RS. Yahoo! News is not a good source of medical information. Elizium23 (talk) 00:42, 10 June 2013 (UTC)
 * Agreed. And it's definitely irresponsible to use a source of "a student was 'lucky not to have died' after chugging two pints of soy sauce" for the vaguer and more alarming statement that a "high volume of soy sauce can led to fatality". --McGeddon (talk) 11:06, 11 June 2013 (UTC)
 * The case received wide coverage and the sentence is as per news headlines. Other news agency that report the same. * tp://www.examiner.com/article/soy-sauce-overdose-nearly-kills-teen-over-a-dare-from-friends * http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366033/Virginia-university-student-drank-soy-sauce-initiation-intensive-care.html * http://theweek.com/article/index/245386/yes-drinking-a-quart-of-soy-sauce-will-probably-kill-you * http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=US&ie=UTF-8&source=android-browser&q=soy+sauce+can+killed#q=drink+soy+sauce+can+killed&hl=en&gl=US&source=android-browser&psj=1&ei=0gq3Ub_2NYqYrgfIw4GwAw&start=10&sa=N&fp=b7d6a7b13e28c7de&biw=980&bih=1394&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&cad=b&sei=Sgy3UenjA4aQrQext4GICQ
 * And where does it say yahoo news is not good? Even it is, you need to put and not removing it. Or write to me for more supporting fact. Dont treat Wikipedia as product endorsement no practice cencorship. Yosri (talk) 11:46, 11 June 2013 (UTC)
 * WP:MEDRS says that we should be extremely careful about sourcing health information, particularly if we want to write "if you consume a 'high volume' of this foodstuff you will die".
 * News sources are fine for the fact that one particular person drank two pints of soy sauce and was ill, if we want to write about that in a subsection, but I'm not sure it's that remarkable a story. Consuming hundreds of times the usual portion amount of any food is always likely to have a bad effect, and I'm sure we could find similar one-off news stories about a lot of food products. --McGeddon (talk) 11:59, 11 June 2013 (UTC)

An earlier section on this talk page says that "When a draft system of enlistment existed in Japan, there were rumors of people who drunk soy sauce so they could be disqualified in a health check and not be drafted." - if there's a bit more context to hang on this than just "an American kid drank a quart, once", it might merit a section. --McGeddon (talk) 12:02, 11 June 2013 (UTC)


 * As I am using tablet it is hard for me to eloberate much, but my points is soy sauce can killed in high volume. What do I care about people avoiding draft or personal opinion it is not appropiate. The case receive wide coverage and you can reword it any way you want. It it save another idiot, it should be worth it. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2337777/After-chugging-QUART-soy-sauce-student-survive-sodium-overdose-brain-damage.html — Preceding unsigned comment added by Yosri (talk • contribs) 13:12, 11 June 2013‎


 * Pretty much anything can be lethal in high volumes, even plain old water. This does not mean it presents a health danger. To include a warning about a health danger (or for that matter to highlight a health benefit) we need a reliable medical source per wiki policy. (See the article on salt for an encyclopedic treatment of this topic.) A single event however is anecdotal and does not meet the standard of a medical study; further, yahoo is not a reliable source for medical information. The fact that one idiot drank so much soy sauce it made him sick is not notable enough to be included in this particular article. Dusty |&#x1f4ac;|You can help! 13:18, 11 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Please don't spam us with links to 'sources' that do not meet WP:MEDRS standards, and do not edit war to include your changes if you are not achieving consensus here on the talk page. We still object to the substance of your edit as well as the positioning, and you have not addressed why you think this information needs to be in the lede section of this article. Persistence in this effort will lead to more warnings and eventual sanctions by administrators. Elizium23 (talk) 18:34, 11 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Furthermore, I am rather amused at your appeal to have me read WP:V. I am well-acquainted with WP:V and I suggest that you read WP:MEDRS because the standard for "reliable source" when it comes to medical-related facts is higher than the usual bar set by WP:RS. So, please re-read the guidelines and get back to us when you understand how Wikipedia works. Elizium23 (talk) 18:40, 11 June 2013 (UTC)


 * This looked really interesting so I did some research. The case was reported in the Journal of Emergency Medicine, which is about as reliable a source as you can get. However, judging from the abstract the article focuses on the general dangers and treatments where a person ingests too much salt and has little to say about the risks of soy sauce specifically. Consequently, I agree that this story has little place in this particular article, although I'll add the above link to Hypernatremia.
 * However, I would have thought there must be some reliable sources out there talking more about the salt content in soy sauce, something which does appear to be brushed over a little in the nutrition section. GDallimore (Talk) 18:36, 11 June 2013 (UTC)


 * In other words, it is WP:SYNTH to say what our friend Yosri is trying to say here. Thank you. Elizium23 (talk) 18:41, 11 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Someone added a mention of the story to the Hypernatremia a couple of days ago. I think what they've done over there looks good. I've just added the original source of the story to it. GDallimore (Talk) 18:45, 11 June 2013 (UTC)
 * I believe the original reference clearly said soy sauce, and the statement "....this story has little place in this particular article..." is pretty much a personal opinions (no place here) and purely WP:SYNTH. I do wonder the need to discuss this since it is clearly stated in ".....the Wikipedia's core sourcing policy, Wikipedia:Verifiability, used to define the threshold for inclusion..." why any sysop feel they have the right to superceed core policy of inclusion. The fact is, if this need discussion, please put up proposal to strike out Wikipedia:Verifiability first, then discuss. I am not going to comment anymore since what is the use of having core policy when it is not being implemented/ignored. Yosri (talk) 03:44, 15 June 2013 (UTC)
 * Note. The case was "published in the latest issue of The Journal of Emergency Medicine, tells of a teenager, who in 2011, accepted a dare and drank a whole bottle of soy sauce before slipping into a coma." Techyville.com Yosri (talk) 03:54, 15 June 2013 (UTC)


 * If you weren't so rude, this would have made me laugh. You haven't even had the decency to bother reading my comment if you think the fact that this story was reported in JEM is new this discussion. Please do carry out your threat to stop commenting. GDallimore (Talk) 18:32, 16 June 2013 (UTC)

Swedish recipe from 1765
I've been transcribing the famous Swedish cookbook by Cajsa Warg and came across a recipe for "Soija" yesterday. The book, Hjelpreda I Hushållningen, can be found at Swedish Wikisource. It's the fourth edition from 1770, but the recipe is from the extended edition from 1765. Here's the original text: Soija. Tag Champignoner som äro stora wäxte och helt bruna på skägget, så mycket man kan få på en gång, de läggas deruppå i wattn och hwispas i hast med en hwisp så at det blifwa fria ifrån jord och sand, då tagas Champignonerna up med et Durkslag, och skadas intet om något wattn skulle medfölja, allenast de straxt läggas i en rensmakande fjerding eller kruka hwarftals med stark saltning, hwarmed de blifwa stående 24 timmar, och derefter kokas något litet dock lyckt med sin egen saft uti et förtent käril, men då och då omröras med en sked under kokningen, och kramas på dem så at smaken går utur Champignonerna: när de sålunda kokat, slås altsammans uti en serviett eller hårdukspåsse, och låter det rinna som Gelée, dock kan litet kramas på påssen, så at musten wäl går utur: När detta är genomrunnit och stått en stund, så at om något grummel stt sig til botten, så hälles det klara sackta af, hwilket kokas med krossad kryddpeppar, hel muskottblomma; ungefärligen et quintin muskottblomma och et lod kryddpeppar til et stop Soija, dermed kokar det tilsammans, så at hon blifwer något mustig, och sedan silas uti stenkäril at stå öfwer natten, då hälles Soijan helt sackta af, så at intet grummel följer med, och sedan tömes på Bouteiller som korkas ganska wäl, hartsas, och sedan förwaras i Källaren. NB. Denna Soija måste wara wäl saltad, så kan hon bättre hålla sig, hon är tjenlig at bruka på mat, såsom på bruna Ragouer eller uti stek-saucer, hwaraf tages et eller twå skedblad, alt efter som man finner smak uti. Denna beskrifning på Soijan har jag wäl sielf intet försökt, men fått af en annan underrättelse derom, dock har jag smakat Soija som blifwit gjord efter denna, och hon har just haft samma smak som den Utländska.

In summary, the recipe calls for whole mature champignons (portabellos) that are rinsed off and salted for 24 hours and then boiled. The mushrooms are then put in a cloth bag and the juice is allowed to drip off them ("like with jelly", though some squeezing is allowed) and the solids are allowed to sink to the bottom. The clear sauce is slowly poured off, ground allspice and whole mace (probably the most popular spice in European 18th century cookbooks) are added and the liquid is boiled again. The sauce is then strained and stored in sealed glass bottles. The recommendation is that it should be "well salted" in order to keep better. The suggested quantity is 1-2 spoonfuls to add flavor to ragouts or sauces for grilled or fried meat.

The last sentence of the recipe is interesting because the sauce is described as "having the same flavor as the foreign [soy sauce]". So whatever imported sauce was made out of, it was quite similar to this recipe.

Peter Isotalo 13:00, 12 October 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on Soy sauce. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20100515090016/http://english.vietnamnet.vn:80/reports/2007/05/699774/ to http://english.vietnamnet.vn/reports/2007/05/699774/

When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true to let others know.

Cheers. —cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 17:36, 28 August 2015 (UTC)

Birthday Contradiction
The introduction states that it originated in the 2nd century, but the first paragraph puts it between the 3rd and 5th. Which is it? OGRastamon (talk) 04:01, 23 April 2016 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 06:37, 30 April 2016 (UTC)

Soya sauce?
Shouldn't the product be described as soya sauce? Soya sauce is the term in standard English (British English) whilst soy is the term in only a dialect of English, namely American English.Royalcourtier (talk) 22:47, 19 November 2017 (UTC)

American English is more widespread, duh. Soya sounds dumb anyway, it's made of SOYbeans, there is no such thing as SOYAbeans. 00:04, 11 December 2017 (UTC)2601:40C:8100:768:88E9:6CA9:7F6F:1065 (talk) 00:04, 11 December 2017 (UTC)


 * For the record the term "SOYA beans" is used in parts of the US and UK, and is interchangeable with "soybeans" or "soy beans." SamuelRiv (talk) 04:37, 3 February 2018 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 2 external links on Soy sauce. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20090226200239/http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/publish/periodic/jfn/pdf/jfn27_2.pdf to http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/publish/periodic/jfn/pdf/jfn27_2.pdf
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20100119040101/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiMrrBvLTLGX3P0uXmSqeT1Zjayw to http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiMrrBvLTLGX3P0uXmSqeT1Zjayw

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 03:56, 6 December 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 2 external links on Soy sauce. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20071223042530/http://www.miyajima-soy.co.jp/science/kouenkai/kouenkai.htm to http://www.miyajima-soy.co.jp/science/kouenkai/kouenkai.htm
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20150115192331/http://www.bar.gov.ph/chronicle-home/archives-list/393-may-2004-issue/2970-is-your-soy-sauce-safe to http://www.bar.gov.ph/chronicle-home/archives-list/393-may-2004-issue/2970-is-your-soy-sauce-safe

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 01:02, 23 December 2017 (UTC)

Poor Translation
The "production process" section is either written by someone who doesn't have English as a first language, or is the result of a poor translation, probably from Japanese. Whichever, it is way below the standard of written expression expected in an English language encyclopedia. Unless someone re-writes it entirely, it needs to go. I was going to try a re-write myself, but there are parts where the meaning is very unclear. Tigerboy1966 (talk) 09:27, 30 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Agreed, particularly the part about the HLF process. The word "moromi" is used multiple times but it is not defined anywhere before or after that section. Lumberjane Lilly (talk) 15:15, 5 February 2021 (UTC)

Syou, old cookbooks, Shanghaiese
In one of the earliest American oriental cookbooks from 1914, soy sauce is referred to as "syou" or "soye" without qualification. The chef who sourced the information is said to be from Shanghai, but I'm not sure if the authors (American and Japanese) took "syou" as a romanization from Shanghaiese (for which btw the online dictionaries I checked do not have a romanized transcription) or just whatever old-style romanization convention Americans were using. Does anyone have a Shanghaiese/Hu/Wu phonetization for soy sauce?

Regardless, having historical spellings might be worth adding as a footnote for now, at least until more historical oriental cookbooks show up. I have the citation in template form ready to add when someone can confirm:

Also available: Bosse & Watanna PDF (33MB) from Michigan State University Library archives.

SamuelRiv (talk) 05:27, 3 February 2018 (UTC)

Monosodium glutamate?
Isnt the primary ingredient of soy sauce Monosodium glutamate? If so shouldn't it be mentioned? I know people who are paranoid about msg but are quite happy to eat a takeawy chinese 95.151.120.191 (talk) 10:20, 13 March 2018 (UTC)

A naturally brewed soy sauce won't have any added MSG, though it does contain free glutamic acid (as do many foods).

With hydrolyzed protein based "soy sauces," the hydrolysis of the isolated soy protein will create an abundance of free glutamic acid, and the hydrochloric acid used to hydrolyze the protein will then be typically be neutralized with sodium hydroxide, reacting to form NaCl (salt) and H20 (water). Some of the sodium hydroxide though will also react with the free glutamic acid to form MSG and water.

Some of these imitation soy sauces will also contain additional added MSG. -2003:CA:83CB:1B00:11F2:9D86:2B70:469E (talk) 16:10, 22 July 2018 (UTC)

NPOV tweaks...
The "Acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein" section had read:

"Some higher-quality hydrolyzed vegetable protein products with no added salt, sugar or colorings are sold as low-sodium soy sauce alternatives called "liquid aminos" in health food stores, similar to the way salt substitutes are used."

I've changed "higher-quality" to "higher-priced," since they're not necessarily of higher quality than an average hydrolyzed protein based imitation "soy sauce," and "quality" is somewhat subjective anyway.

I've also removed the part about "no added salt," as that's rather misleading....

When hydrolyzed protein is produced with hydrochloric acid, the acid is then neutralized with sodium hydroxide: HCl + NaOH --> NaCl + H2O. So salt (NaCl) is actually produced as a result of the process of hydrolyzing the protein and then neutralizing the acid. Whether or not this salt is "added," or rather produced in the process of making it, is, I suppose, a semantic distinction one could quibble over, but the salt is present in the finished product and it didn't come from the source protein that was used to make the "liquid aminos." -2003:CA:83C9:5900:993F:2F2E:F4E:4EF5 (talk) 09:36, 16 July 2018 (UTC)