Soy Sauce

This ubiquitous condiment is found in most Japanese dishes, from Sashimi to Ramen. While most of us may only be familiar with one or two types of soy sauce, there are actually five main categories of Japanese soy sauce.

Saishikomi

Saishikomi (re-brewed soy sauce) originates from southwestern Japan around the Yamaguchi prefecture, and is particularly unique because of the way it’s prepared. It is made by re-brewing previous batches of soy sauce, hence its name. Saishikomi has an intense dark reddish-brown colour, and a well-rounded flavour that is not overly sweet or salty.

Shiro

Finally, there’s Shiro, which hails from the Aichi prefecture. Light in colour (lighter than even Usukuchi) it resembles the Dashi stock used to make Miso soup or clear soup. Shiro is a favourite among chefs who want to add soy sauce flavour to dishes without the dark colouring.