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Dark soy sauce

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dark soy sauce
TypeSoy sauce
Place of originChina
Associated cuisine

In Chinese cuisine, dark soy sauce (Chinese: 老抽; pinyin: lǎo chōu) is a dark-coloured soy sauce used mainly for adding colour and flavour to dishes. It is richer, slightly thicker, and less salty than other types of soy sauce.[1][2][3] As the Chinese name lǎo chōu (lit.'old extract') suggests, it is also aged longer.[2] It is often sweetened by adding molasses or other sweetening agents.[1][2] Dark soy sauce is often used in stews, stir-fries, and sauces.[2] It is used in dishes requiring colours, such as red-cooked dishes.[4]

Name

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Chinese names
Mandarin
Chinese老抽
Literal meaningold extract
Hanyu Pinyinlǎo chōu
Bopomofoㄌㄠˇㄔㄡ
Wade–Gileslao3 ch'ou1
Yale Romanizationlǎu chōu
IPA[làʊ.ʈʂʰóʊ]
Cantonese
Traditional Chinese老抽
Yale Romanizationlóuh chāu
Jyutpinglou5 cau1
IPA[lɔw˩˧.tsʰɐw˥]

The Chinese word lǎo chōu (Chinese: 老抽), meaning "old extract", is shortened from the word lǎo tóu chōu (simplified Chinese: 老头抽; traditional Chinese: 老頭抽), meaning "old man extract".[5] It contrasts with shēng chōu (Chinese: 生抽) or "raw extract", usually referred to as "light soy sauce" in English sources.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Spiegel, Alison (8 April 2014). "Are You Using The Right Soy Sauce? Here's How To Find Out". HuffPost. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Fuller, Janet Rausa (2 November 2015). "The ultimate guide to soy sauce". Fox News. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  3. ^ Akis, Eric (26 January 2012). "The light and dark sides of soy sauce". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  4. ^ Parkinson, Rhonda (26 February 2018). "7 Popular Types of Soy Sauce". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  5. ^ a b Hu, Shiu-ying (2005). Food plants of China. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press. p. 34. ISBN 962-201-860-2. Retrieved 15 September 2018.