The market · Seasonings and ferments · East Asia
Light soy
Soy sauce brewed lighter in colour and — confusingly — saltier than regular.
salty · savoury
What to do with it
Kenji Hara's Sourdough, 100% ryeLight soy would give it depthIbu Sari's Beef rendangLight soy would give it depthRosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleLight soy would give it depthTolu Adeyemi's Jollof, party styleLight soy would season it
MalaysianChar kway teowFlat rice noodles fried hard in lard over fierce heat with prawns, cockles, Chinese sausage, egg, bean sprouts and chives.No one here has made it yetCantoneseChar siuStrips of pork shoulder in a sweet soy marinade, roasted hot and glazed until the edges char.No one here has made it yet
CantoneseSteamed fish with ginger and spring onionA whole very fresh fish, steamed just to the bone, then dressed with seasoned soy and ginger and spring onion scalded with smoking oil.No one here has made it yet
CantoneseWonton noodle soupThin, springy egg noodles and prawn wontons in a clear broth, finished with a few chives.No one here has made it yetCantoneseSiu maiOpen-topped dumplings of pork and prawn in a thin yellow wrapper, steamed, and often dotted on top with fish roe or a little carrot.No one here has made it yetCantonesePork chop bunA marinated pork chop, beaten thin and fried, pressed into a crusty split roll — Macau's favourite snack.No one here has made it yetTeochewTeochew braised gooseA whole goose simmered in a dark, spiced master stock of soy, galangal and rock sugar, sliced thin and served with garlic vinegar.No one here has made it yetTeochewFried carrot cakeSteamed white radish and rice-flour cake, cut into cubes and fried with egg, garlic and preserved radish — 'white', or 'black' with sweet soy.No one here has made it yetTeochewKway chapWide, flat rice sheets in a dark soy broth, with a plate of braised pork, offal, tofu and eggs from the lou pot.No one here has made it yetHunanSteamed fish head with chopped chilliesA large fish head split open, heaped with red salted chillies and steamed, then finished with spring onion and sizzling oil.No one here has made it yetHunanChangsha stinky tofuBlack squares of fermented tofu, deep-fried until puffed and crisp, then pierced and filled with a sauce of chilli, garlic, soy and sesame oil.No one here has made it yetHunanHunan stir-fried beefThin slices of beef stir-fried in moments with a heap of fresh chillies, garlic, ginger and coriander stems — tender, fragrant and very hot.No one here has made it yetHunanHunan smoked porkPork belly salted, then smoked for weeks over a wood fire until dark and firm, sliced thin and stir-fried with garlic shoots or leeks and chilli.No one here has made it yetHunanChangsha spicy crayfishWhole crayfish stir-fried and braised in a red, oily sauce of chilli, garlic, beer and spices, eaten with the fingers at night-market tables in summer.No one here has made it yetShandongDezhou braised chickenA whole chicken, legs tucked in, glazed and fried golden, then braised for hours in a spiced soy stock until the meat falls from the bone.No one here has made it yetShandongSweet and sour Yellow River carpA whole carp, scored deep, fried crisp with its head and tail curled up, and doused at the table in a hot, glossy sweet-and-sour sauce.No one here has made it yetShandongNine-turn intestinesShort lengths of pork intestine, cleaned, blanched, fried and then braised down in sugar, vinegar and soy until glossy — sweet, sour, salty, peppery and faintly bitter at once.No one here has made it yetShandongScallion-braised sea cucumberSoaked dried sea cucumber braised in stock and soy with spring onions fried slowly to gold, until it's soft, glossy and full of scallion.No one here has made it yetShandongQingdao spicy stir-fried clamsSmall clams thrown into a hot wok with dried chillies, garlic and ginger, splashed with soy and wine, and eaten the moment they open — with a glass of beer.No one here has made it yetHuaiyangLion's head meatballsLarge, soft pork meatballs, gently stewed in stock over Chinese leaf until they're tender enough to eat with a spoon.No one here has made it yetHuaiyangWuxi spare ribsPork ribs braised slowly in soy, rice wine and plenty of sugar until they're falling-tender and coated in a dark, sticky, sweet glaze.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseXiaolongbaoSmall, thin-skinned steamed buns of minced pork, pleated at the top and full of hot soup, served in the bamboo basket they cooked in.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseRed-braised porkCubes of pork belly braised in Shaoxing wine, dark soy and rock sugar until the sauce reduces to a sticky, mahogany glaze.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseShengjian baoSmall risen pork buns fried in a wide, shallow pan, steamed under a lid, so their bottoms go crisp and golden while the tops stay soft.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseScallion oil noodlesThin wheat noodles tossed in oil in which spring onions have been fried slowly until dark and crisp, with dark soy and sugar.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseShanghai smoked fishThick slices of carp, marinated, fried until crisp, then plunged into a sweet, spiced soy syrup and served cold — 'smoked' in name only.No one here has made it yetZhejiangDongpo porkThick squares of pork belly, tied with string and braised slowly in Shaoxing wine, soy and sugar until the fat trembles.No one here has made it yetZhejiangWest Lake fish in vinegar sauceA whole grass carp, poached briefly and then bathed in a glossy, sweet-sour sauce of black vinegar, sugar and ginger.No one here has made it yetZhejiangBeggar's chickenA whole stuffed chicken wrapped in lotus leaves, sealed in clay or dough, and baked for hours until it falls from the bone.No one here has made it yetFujianBuddha jumps over the wallA banquet soup of abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, scallops, meats and mushrooms, sealed in a jar with rice wine and simmered for hours.No one here has made it yetFujianFuzhou fish ballsSmooth, springy balls of fish paste with a juicy pork filling, served in a light broth.No one here has made it yetFujianLychee porkCross-scored pieces of pork, fried until they curl up like lychees, in a glossy red sweet-and-sour sauce with water chestnuts.No one here has made it yetFujianRed wine lees chickenChicken braised with red wine lees, ginger and rice wine until it turns a deep rosy red — sweet, winey and warming.No one here has made it yetFujianPopiahA soft, paper-thin wheat crêpe rolled round a filling of braised vegetables, egg, prawn and crushed peanuts.No one here has made it yetFujianShacha noodlesYellow noodles in a rich, orange, peanutty broth of shacha sauce, topped with your choice of seafood, offal and tofu.No one here has made it yetFujianBak changA pyramid of soy-darkened sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves round braised pork belly, mushroom, chestnut and salted egg yolk.No one here has made it yetAnhuiStinky mandarin fishA whole mandarin fish, lightly salted and left for days until it smells, then fried and braised with pork, bamboo shoots and chilli.No one here has made it yetAnhuiHairy tofuBlocks of tofu left to grow a coat of fine white mould, then pan-fried golden and eaten with chilli sauce or braised in soy.No one here has made it yetAnhuiHuizhou one-potA deep iron pot layered with bamboo shoots, pork, fried tofu, egg dumplings and greens, simmered slowly and brought to the table whole.No one here has made it yetAnhuiLi Hongzhang hotchpotchA banquet mix of sea cucumber, fish maw, squid, ham, chicken, tofu and mushroom, simmered together in a good stock.No one here has made it yetAnhuiWuwei smoked duckA whole duck, salted and spiced, smoked until bronze and then simmered, so it's smoky, savoury and tender.No one here has made it yetAnhuiFuliji roast chickenA whole chicken glazed, fried red-gold and then simmered in a spiced master stock until the meat falls from the bone.No one here has made it yetBeijingBaoduBeef or lamb tripe cut into strips, dipped in boiling water for a few seconds until just crisp, and eaten with a sesame-paste sauce.No one here has made it yetBeijingGoubuli baoziSmall steamed buns of half-raised dough, pleated tightly over a juicy pork filling loosened with stock.No one here has made it yetBeijingJiaoziCrescent dumplings of thin wheat dough around pork and chives or cabbage, boiled and dipped in black vinegar with garlic.No one here has made it yetYunnanErkuaiCakes of steamed, pounded rice, sliced and stir-fried with pork and greens, grilled on the street with sauces, or cut into noodles for soup.No one here has made it yetUyghur and XinjiangLaghmanThick hand-pulled noodles under a stir-fry of lamb, peppers, tomato, celery and onion — the everyday lunch of the region.No one here has made it yetUyghur and XinjiangBig-plate chickenChicken and potatoes braised with chilli, Sichuan pepper and green peppers, served on one huge platter, with wide flat noodles tossed through the sauce at the end.No one here has made it yet
SichuanKung pao chickenDiced chicken stir-fried with dried chillies, Sichuan pepper and peanuts in a glossy sweet-sour sauce.No one here has made it yetSichuanFish-fragrant aubergineAubergine fried soft, then braised in a sweet, sour, hot sauce of pickled chilli, garlic, ginger and spring onion — with no fish at all.No one here has made it yetSichuanDry-fried green beansGreen beans fried until blistered and wrinkled, then tossed with a little minced pork, preserved mustard greens, chilli and Sichuan pepper.No one here has made it yetSichuanChilli oil wontonsSilky pork wontons, folded small, in a pool of red chilli oil, soy, black vinegar and garlic.No one here has made it yetSichuanChongqing chicken with chilliesSmall pieces of chicken fried crisp, then tossed in the wok with a heap of dried chillies and Sichuan pepper — you hunt for the chicken.No one here has made it yetSichuanWater-boiled beefTender slices of beef poached in a chilli-bean broth over a bed of greens, then heaped with dried chilli and Sichuan pepper and doused in smoking oil.No one here has made it yetSichuanBobo chickenCold poached chicken and other morsels on bamboo skewers, steeped in a bowl of red chilli oil with Sichuan pepper, and paid for by the stick.No one here has made it yet
JapaneseChawanmushiA savoury egg custard, steamed in a teacup with dashi, and set so softly it barely holds.2 versions here
CantoneseSteamed fish with ginger and spring onionA whole very fresh fish, steamed just to the bone, then dressed with seasoned soy and ginger and spring onion scalded with smoking oil.No one here has made it yetCantoneseWonton noodle soupThin, springy egg noodles and prawn wontons in a clear broth, finished with a few chives.No one here has made it yetCantoneseSiu maiOpen-topped dumplings of pork and prawn in a thin yellow wrapper, steamed, and often dotted on top with fish roe or a little carrot.No one here has made it yetCantonesePork chop bunA marinated pork chop, beaten thin and fried, pressed into a crusty split roll — Macau's favourite snack.No one here has made it yetTeochewTeochew braised gooseA whole goose simmered in a dark, spiced master stock of soy, galangal and rock sugar, sliced thin and served with garlic vinegar.No one here has made it yetTeochewFried carrot cakeSteamed white radish and rice-flour cake, cut into cubes and fried with egg, garlic and preserved radish — 'white', or 'black' with sweet soy.No one here has made it yetTeochewKway chapWide, flat rice sheets in a dark soy broth, with a plate of braised pork, offal, tofu and eggs from the lou pot.No one here has made it yetHunanSteamed fish head with chopped chilliesA large fish head split open, heaped with red salted chillies and steamed, then finished with spring onion and sizzling oil.No one here has made it yetHunanChangsha stinky tofuBlack squares of fermented tofu, deep-fried until puffed and crisp, then pierced and filled with a sauce of chilli, garlic, soy and sesame oil.No one here has made it yetHunanHunan stir-fried beefThin slices of beef stir-fried in moments with a heap of fresh chillies, garlic, ginger and coriander stems — tender, fragrant and very hot.No one here has made it yetHunanHunan smoked porkPork belly salted, then smoked for weeks over a wood fire until dark and firm, sliced thin and stir-fried with garlic shoots or leeks and chilli.No one here has made it yetHunanChangsha spicy crayfishWhole crayfish stir-fried and braised in a red, oily sauce of chilli, garlic, beer and spices, eaten with the fingers at night-market tables in summer.No one here has made it yetShandongDezhou braised chickenA whole chicken, legs tucked in, glazed and fried golden, then braised for hours in a spiced soy stock until the meat falls from the bone.No one here has made it yetShandongSweet and sour Yellow River carpA whole carp, scored deep, fried crisp with its head and tail curled up, and doused at the table in a hot, glossy sweet-and-sour sauce.No one here has made it yetShandongNine-turn intestinesShort lengths of pork intestine, cleaned, blanched, fried and then braised down in sugar, vinegar and soy until glossy — sweet, sour, salty, peppery and faintly bitter at once.No one here has made it yetShandongScallion-braised sea cucumberSoaked dried sea cucumber braised in stock and soy with spring onions fried slowly to gold, until it's soft, glossy and full of scallion.No one here has made it yetShandongQingdao spicy stir-fried clamsSmall clams thrown into a hot wok with dried chillies, garlic and ginger, splashed with soy and wine, and eaten the moment they open — with a glass of beer.No one here has made it yetHuaiyangLion's head meatballsLarge, soft pork meatballs, gently stewed in stock over Chinese leaf until they're tender enough to eat with a spoon.No one here has made it yetHuaiyangWuxi spare ribsPork ribs braised slowly in soy, rice wine and plenty of sugar until they're falling-tender and coated in a dark, sticky, sweet glaze.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseXiaolongbaoSmall, thin-skinned steamed buns of minced pork, pleated at the top and full of hot soup, served in the bamboo basket they cooked in.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseRed-braised porkCubes of pork belly braised in Shaoxing wine, dark soy and rock sugar until the sauce reduces to a sticky, mahogany glaze.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseShengjian baoSmall risen pork buns fried in a wide, shallow pan, steamed under a lid, so their bottoms go crisp and golden while the tops stay soft.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseScallion oil noodlesThin wheat noodles tossed in oil in which spring onions have been fried slowly until dark and crisp, with dark soy and sugar.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseShanghai smoked fishThick slices of carp, marinated, fried until crisp, then plunged into a sweet, spiced soy syrup and served cold — 'smoked' in name only.No one here has made it yetZhejiangDongpo porkThick squares of pork belly, tied with string and braised slowly in Shaoxing wine, soy and sugar until the fat trembles.No one here has made it yetZhejiangWest Lake fish in vinegar sauceA whole grass carp, poached briefly and then bathed in a glossy, sweet-sour sauce of black vinegar, sugar and ginger.No one here has made it yetZhejiangBeggar's chickenA whole stuffed chicken wrapped in lotus leaves, sealed in clay or dough, and baked for hours until it falls from the bone.No one here has made it yetFujianBuddha jumps over the wallA banquet soup of abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, scallops, meats and mushrooms, sealed in a jar with rice wine and simmered for hours.No one here has made it yetFujianFuzhou fish ballsSmooth, springy balls of fish paste with a juicy pork filling, served in a light broth.No one here has made it yetFujianLychee porkCross-scored pieces of pork, fried until they curl up like lychees, in a glossy red sweet-and-sour sauce with water chestnuts.No one here has made it yetFujianRed wine lees chickenChicken braised with red wine lees, ginger and rice wine until it turns a deep rosy red — sweet, winey and warming.No one here has made it yetFujianPopiahA soft, paper-thin wheat crêpe rolled round a filling of braised vegetables, egg, prawn and crushed peanuts.No one here has made it yetFujianShacha noodlesYellow noodles in a rich, orange, peanutty broth of shacha sauce, topped with your choice of seafood, offal and tofu.No one here has made it yetFujianBak changA pyramid of soy-darkened sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves round braised pork belly, mushroom, chestnut and salted egg yolk.No one here has made it yetAnhuiStinky mandarin fishA whole mandarin fish, lightly salted and left for days until it smells, then fried and braised with pork, bamboo shoots and chilli.No one here has made it yetAnhuiHairy tofuBlocks of tofu left to grow a coat of fine white mould, then pan-fried golden and eaten with chilli sauce or braised in soy.No one here has made it yetAnhuiHuizhou one-potA deep iron pot layered with bamboo shoots, pork, fried tofu, egg dumplings and greens, simmered slowly and brought to the table whole.No one here has made it yetAnhuiLi Hongzhang hotchpotchA banquet mix of sea cucumber, fish maw, squid, ham, chicken, tofu and mushroom, simmered together in a good stock.No one here has made it yetAnhuiWuwei smoked duckA whole duck, salted and spiced, smoked until bronze and then simmered, so it's smoky, savoury and tender.No one here has made it yetAnhuiFuliji roast chickenA whole chicken glazed, fried red-gold and then simmered in a spiced master stock until the meat falls from the bone.No one here has made it yetBeijingBaoduBeef or lamb tripe cut into strips, dipped in boiling water for a few seconds until just crisp, and eaten with a sesame-paste sauce.No one here has made it yetBeijingGoubuli baoziSmall steamed buns of half-raised dough, pleated tightly over a juicy pork filling loosened with stock.No one here has made it yetBeijingJiaoziCrescent dumplings of thin wheat dough around pork and chives or cabbage, boiled and dipped in black vinegar with garlic.No one here has made it yetYunnanErkuaiCakes of steamed, pounded rice, sliced and stir-fried with pork and greens, grilled on the street with sauces, or cut into noodles for soup.No one here has made it yetUyghur and XinjiangLaghmanThick hand-pulled noodles under a stir-fry of lamb, peppers, tomato, celery and onion — the everyday lunch of the region.No one here has made it yetUyghur and XinjiangBig-plate chickenChicken and potatoes braised with chilli, Sichuan pepper and green peppers, served on one huge platter, with wide flat noodles tossed through the sauce at the end.No one here has made it yetSichuanKung pao chickenDiced chicken stir-fried with dried chillies, Sichuan pepper and peanuts in a glossy sweet-sour sauce.No one here has made it yetSichuanFish-fragrant aubergineAubergine fried soft, then braised in a sweet, sour, hot sauce of pickled chilli, garlic, ginger and spring onion — with no fish at all.No one here has made it yetSichuanDry-fried green beansGreen beans fried until blistered and wrinkled, then tossed with a little minced pork, preserved mustard greens, chilli and Sichuan pepper.No one here has made it yetSichuanChilli oil wontonsSilky pork wontons, folded small, in a pool of red chilli oil, soy, black vinegar and garlic.No one here has made it yetSichuanChongqing chicken with chilliesSmall pieces of chicken fried crisp, then tossed in the wok with a heap of dried chillies and Sichuan pepper — you hunt for the chicken.No one here has made it yetSichuanWater-boiled beefTender slices of beef poached in a chilli-bean broth over a bed of greens, then heaped with dried chilli and Sichuan pepper and doused in smoking oil.No one here has made it yetSichuanBobo chickenCold poached chicken and other morsels on bamboo skewers, steeped in a bowl of red chilli oil with Sichuan pepper, and paid for by the stick.No one here has made it yetJapaneseChawanmushiA savoury egg custard, steamed in a teacup with dashi, and set so softly it barely holds.2 versions hereKinds
- Usukuchi (Japanese light)
- Keeps custards and clear broths pale.
- Koikuchi (Japanese regular)
- The everyday one.
- Chinese dark
- Thicker, sweeter, for colour.
- Tamari
- Little or no wheat.
Goes with
Cooked with, here
How much, here
1.5–1.5% of the dish by weight — a place to start.
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Japanese and Chinese grocers.
- A little history
- Fermented soybean sauces go back about two thousand years in China; Japanese shoyu grew out of them.
Kitchens that keep it in
Guangdong and Hong Kong, southern ChinaCantoneseThe cooking of Guangzhou and Hong Kong: very fresh things cooked briefly and seasoned lightly, so they taste of themselves.11 classicsChaoshan, the far east of Guangdong, southern ChinaTeochewThe cooking of Chaozhou and Shantou on the coast of eastern Guangdong: seafood, clear broths and slow master-stock braises, each dish with its own little dip.7 classicsHunan province, south-central ChinaHunanHot and sour and smoky: fresh and salted chillies rather than Sichuan's numbing pepper, with smoked meats from the hearth and a fierce, quick wok.7 classicsShandong province, on China's east coastShandongThe oldest of China's great regional kitchens and the root of northern banquet cooking: clear and milky stocks, fierce quick frying, Yellow Sea seafood, and scallions by the armful.7 classicsJiangsu province and the lower Yangtze, eastern ChinaHuaiyangDelicate and exact: fine knife work, clear stocks and a gentle sweetness, cooked to bring out an ingredient's own flavour rather than to cover it.7 classicsShanghai, on the Yangtze delta, eastern ChinaShanghaineseSweet, dark and glossy: a port city's home cooking, red-braised in soy, sugar and Shaoxing wine, with soup dumplings, cold 'drunken' dishes and hairy crab in autumn.7 classicsZhejiang province, eastern ChinaZhejiangFresh, mellow and gently sweet: lake fish and river shrimp, young bamboo, cured ham and a good deal of Shaoxing wine, cooked to taste of themselves.7 classicsFujian province, south-eastern ChinaFujianThe cooking of China's south-eastern coast: clear soups, seafood, the sweet-sour red of fermented rice lees, and the street food the Hokkien carried across Asia.9 classicsAnhui province, eastern ChinaAnhuiMountain cooking from old Huizhou: bamboo shoots, mushrooms and cured things, braised long and dark, with a taste for the fermented — stinky fish and hairy tofu.8 classicsBeijing and the northern plain, northern ChinaBeijingA wheat-and-mutton kitchen of the dry north, salty and savoury with fermented bean pastes, where palace banquets and street snacks grew up side by side.8 classicsSichuan province, south-western ChinaSichuanBold and layered: the numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper with the heat of chilli — málà — alongside some two dozen named flavour combinations.11 classicsJapanJapaneseA cooking of restraint and season, built on dashi — and on letting one ingredient taste as much of itself as it can.10 classics · 2 cooked here