Condiment
Soy sauce
Also called light soy sauce, shoyu, ganjang
What it is
A fermented soy (often with wheat) seasoning. 'Light' means saltier and thinner, not low-sodium.
Origin
China; regional styles across East Asia.
Flavour
Salty, roasted, umami.
How to use it
Season at the end as well as during cooking. Brands differ wildly; pick one and learn it.
Storage
Pantry; fridge after opening is optional but keeps aroma longer.
Can you recognise Soy sauce?
Ingredient challengeQuestions about Soy sauce
From this ingredient's notes in the catalogue — not a chatbot.
What is Soy sauce?
A fermented soy (often with wheat) seasoning. 'Light' means saltier and thinner, not low-sodium.
How do I use Soy sauce?
Season at the end as well as during cooking. Brands differ wildly; pick one and learn it.
How do I store Soy sauce?
Pantry; fridge after opening is optional but keeps aroma longer.
What does it taste like?
Salty, roasted, umami.
What allergens should I watch?
Soy, Wheat. Check the packet in your kitchen.
Nutrition
Per 100g · estimate · USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables. Values are typical, not lab tests of your shopping bag.
Allergens: Soy, Wheat
Recipes using it
Bibimbap
비빔밥
A Korean rice bowl of seasoned vegetables, chilli paste and a runny yolk — mixed at the table until everything is the same red-gold colour.
1 hrMedium🌶️🌶️
Kimchi jjigae
김치찌개
A bubbling kimchi stew with tofu and pork — the Korean answer to 'what is in the fridge and why is it sour'.
50 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Shoyu ramen
醤油ラーメン
A soy-sauce ramen you can make at home without pretending you run a 20-year tonkotsu shop.
2 hrA bit of workNo chilli
Mapo tofu
麻婆豆腐
Sichuan tofu in a chilli-bean sauce with minced pork, Sichuan pepper, and enough oil to carry the mala.
35 minMedium🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chicken adobo
Adobong manok
Filipino chicken braised in vinegar, soy, garlic and pepper — a method more than a single official recipe.
1 hrEasyNo chilli
Tteokbokki
떡볶이
Chewy rice cakes in a glossy gochujang sauce — the street stall that made K-food a late-night sport.
30 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rose tteokbokki
로제떡볶이
The creamy, pink, extremely 2020s cousin of street tteokbokki — still Korean, just wearing a dairy jacket.
30 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Yangnyeom chicken
양념치킨
Twice-fried Korean chicken in a sticky sweet-chilli glaze — the reason 'chimaek' became a word.
1 hrMedium🌶️🌶️
Dakgangjeong
닭강정
Bite-size fried chicken in a sweet-soy-chilli glaze — snack-bar energy, not a whole bird.
45 minMedium🌶️🌶️
Bulgogi
불고기
Thin beef in a soy-pear-sesame marinade, cooked hot until the edges caramelise.
1 hrEasyNo chilli
Galbi
갈비
Soy-sesame marinated beef short ribs, grilled until the bones get sticky and the edges char.
2 hr 40 minMediumNo chilli
Jeyuk bokkeum
제육볶음
Spicy stir-fried pork with gochujang and gochugaru — weeknight heat with rice that you will need.
47 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Dakgalbi
닭갈비
Spicy stir-fried chicken with rice cakes, cabbage and sweet potato — Chuncheon's table-grill export.
50 minMedium🌶️🌶️🌶️
Japchae
잡채
Glossy sweet-potato noodles with sesame, soy and a rainbow of vegetables — banquet food that also does potluck.
55 minMediumNo chilli
Sundubu jjigae
순두부찌개
A raging bowl of soft tofu, chilli broth and a cracked egg — the stew you eat before the spoon melts.
35 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Budae jjigae
부대찌개
Army-base stew: kimchi, spam, sausages and ramyeon in a gochujang broth that refuses to be precious.
40 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Miyeok-guk
미역국
Seaweed soup with beef or clams — the birthday breakfast, and the bowl you eat after giving birth.
45 minEasyNo chilli
Yukgaejang
육개장
Shredded beef soup, red with gochugaru, full of fernbrake and spring onion — hangover logic that also works at lunch.
1 hr 55 minMedium🌶️🌶️🌶️
Haemul pajeon
해물파전
A crispy-edged spring-onion and seafood pancake — the rainy-day order, and the one you tear with your hands.
35 minMediumNo chilli
Kimchi-jeon
김치전
A sour, lacy kimchi pancake — the fridge-door dinner when the kimchi is too ripe to be polite.
22 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Kimchi-bokkeumbap
김치볶음밥
Kimchi fried rice with a fried egg — the 10-minute argument for keeping sour kimchi and leftover rice.
18 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Gyeran-bap
계란밥
Hot rice, a fried or raw-ish egg, sesame oil and soy — the 4-ingredient bowl that still counts as cooking.
7 minEasyNo chilli
Mandu
만두
Korean dumplings — pork, tofu and chives in a thin wrapper, steamed, fried, or floated in soup.
1 hrMediumNo chilli
Dubu-kimchi
두부김치
Warm tofu with stir-fried kimchi and pork — a drinking-table plate that is also a real dinner with rice.
25 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Mul-naengmyeon
물냉면
Ice-cold buckwheat noodles in a tangy beef broth — summer food that should make your teeth hurt a little.
35 minMediumNo chilli
Tteokguk
떡국
Sliced rice cakes in a clear beef broth — the New Year bowl that is said to make you a year older.
1 hr 20 minMediumNo chilli
Kalguksu
칼국수
Knife-cut wheat noodles in a mild anchovy-kelp or chicken broth — the bowl you want when the air is cold.
55 minMediumNo chilli
Andong jjimdak
안동찜닭
Soy-braised chicken with glass noodles, potato and a lot of vegetables — Andong's sweet-savoury party pot.
1 hrMedium🌶️
Bindae-tteok
빈대떡
Crispy mung-bean pancakes with kimchi or sprouts — market food you eat with a raw onion dip.
4 hr 40 minMediumNo chilli
Jjamppong
짬뽕
A Korean-Chinese seafood noodle soup so red and briny it fogs your glasses.
45 minMedium🌶️🌶️🌶️
Gamjatang
감자탕
Pork backbone and potato in a gochugaru pot — a late-night stew you eat with your hands and a lot of rice.
1 hr 55 minMedium🌶️🌶️🌶️
Bibim-naengmyeon
비빔냉면
The same chewy cold noodles as mul-naengmyeon, but tossed in a sweet-hot gochujang sauce instead of ice broth.
30 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Dakbokkeumtang
닭볶음탕
Chicken and potato braised in a gochujang pot until the sauce clings — also called dakdori-tang, still a weeknight hero.
1 hrEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Kongnamul-muchim
콩나물무침
Seasoned soybean sprouts — the banchan that is on the table even when you cooked nothing else.
15 minVery easyNo chilli
Sigeumchi-namul
시금치나물
Blanched spinach squeezed dry and seasoned with sesame — the other namul that lives in bibimbap.
11 minVery easyNo chilli
Gamja-jorim
감자조림
Potatoes soy-braised until they shine — the lunchbox banchan that tastes better cold.
35 minEasy🌶️
Gungjung-tteokbokki
궁중떡볶이
The older soy-sesame rice-cake stir-fry — court-style tteokbokki before the street went red.
30 minEasyNo chilli
Tteok-kkochi
떡꼬치
Rice cakes on a stick, fried and brushed with a sweet-hot glaze — the other street tteok.
30 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Onigiri
おにぎり
Salted rice you can hold — a filling in the middle, nori if you want it, and no, it is not a California roll.
15 minEasyNo chilli
Tamagoyaki
卵焼き
A rolled omelette, a little sweet, cooked in thin sheets — bento gold, not a French fold.
20 minMediumNo chilli
Yakitori
焼き鳥
Chicken on a stick, salted or lacquered in tare, cooked hot — a bar snack that is also dinner.
35 minEasyNo chilli
Oyakodon
親子丼
Chicken and egg on rice — the parent-and-child bowl, simmered in one pan until the egg is just set.
25 minEasyNo chilli
Okonomiyaki
お好み焼き
Osaka's cabbage pancake — flour, dashi, a pile of cabbage, and whatever you like, finished with sauce and mayo.
35 minMediumNo chilli
Katsu curry
カツカレー
A breaded cutlet on Japanese curry rice — the student special that became a national comfort plate.
1 hrMedium🌶️
Hiyayakko
冷奴
Cold tofu, summer logic — silken, chilled, and finished with ginger, spring onion and soy.
10 minVery easyNo chilli
Ochazuke
お茶漬け
Tea poured over leftover rice — a late bowl with pickles, nori and whatever is in the fridge.
7 minVery easyNo chilli
Gyoza
餃子
Pan-fried dumplings, crisp on the bottom, steamed under a lid — Japanese potstickers with a garlic-forward pork filling.
55 minMediumNo chilli
Gyudon
牛丼
Thin beef and onion simmered in a sweet-soy broth, slid over rice — the chain-restaurant bowl you can make better at home.
22 minEasyNo chilli
Nikujaga
肉じゃが
Meat and potatoes simmered in soy and dashi until the house smells like someone is home.
45 minEasyNo chilli
Yakisoba
焼きそば
Wheat noodles tossed on a hot plate with cabbage, pork and a brown sauce — festival food you can make in a frying pan.
27 minEasyNo chilli
Zaru soba
ざるそば
Cold buckwheat noodles on a bamboo tray, dipped in a smoky-soy tsuyu — summer lunch that should taste of the grain.
18 minEasyNo chilli
Ebi tempura
海老天ぷら
Prawns in a cold, thin batter, fried so the shell is lace — tempura as a technique, not a thick breadcrumb.
35 minMediumNo chilli
Shogayaki
生姜焼き
Thin pork in a ginger-soy glaze — the teishoku plate that is weeknight dinner in a lot of Japanese houses.
20 minEasyNo chilli
Agedashi tofu
揚げ出し豆腐
Lightly fried tofu in a hot dashi-soy broth — crisp for a minute, then silky, which is the point.
25 minEasyNo chilli
Japanese curry rice
カレーライス
The everyday Japanese curry — mild, a little sweet, thick enough to catch on rice, no cutlet required.
55 minEasy🌶️
Goma-ae
胡麻和え
Blanched spinach in a sweet sesame dressing — the banchan-shaped side that belongs next to rice.
13 minVery easyNo chilli
Kitsune udon
きつねうどん
Fat wheat noodles in a hot dashi broth with a sweet fried-tofu pillow — the fox's favourite bowl.
25 minEasyNo chilli
Lomo saltado
Lomo saltado
A Peruvian-Chinese stir-fry: beef, onion, tomato, soy and fries — on the same plate as rice.
40 minMedium🌶️
Pad krapow
ผัดกะเพรา
Holy basil stir-fry, ripping hot, with a fried egg and rice — the Thai plate people actually order on a Tuesday.
20 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Gỏi cuốn
Gỏi cuốn
Fresh rice-paper rolls — prawn or pork, herbs, noodles — dipped in peanut or nước chấm. Not fried.
40 minMediumNo chilli
Scallion oil noodles
葱油拌面
Shanghai weeknight noodles — spring onion fried in oil until sweet, tossed with soy. Almost nothing, if you do it right.
25 minEasyNo chilli
Dan dan mian
担担面
Sichuan noodles in a sesame-chilli sauce with a little pork — mala, not a peanut-butter soup.
27 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stir-fried greens
清炒青菜
The mandatory vegetable — garlic, oil, a splash of rice wine, greens that still taste green.
13 minVery easyNo chilli
Lumpia
Lumpia
Filipino spring rolls — a vegetable or pork filling in a thin wrapper, fried, with a sweet-sour dip.
1 hrMediumNo chilli
Pancit canton
Pancit canton
Birthday noodles — wheat-soy stir-fried with vegetables and a little meat. Long noodles, long life.
30 minEasyNo chilli
Beef Asado
Beef Asado from Philippines. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 37 minA bit of workNo chilli
Sticky Chicken
Sticky Chicken from Australia. Times were inferred from the source steps.
9 hr 15 minEasyNo chilli
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
44 minA bit of workNo chilli
Beef Banh Mi Bowls with Sriracha Mayo, Carrot & Pickled Cucumber
Beef Banh Mi Bowls with Sriracha Mayo, Carrot & Pickled Cucumber from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
55 minMediumNo chilli
Beef Lo Mein
Beef Lo Mein from China. Times are typical for this kind of dish.
35 minA bit of workNo chilli
Barbecue pork buns
Barbecue pork buns from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
24 hr 40 minMediumNo chilli
Air Fryer Egg Rolls
Alternative Pan Fry Method: If you don’t have access to an air fryer, you can make these egg rolls using a traditional pan fry method. Add enough oil to a medium skillet with high walls so the oil is about 1/2 inch up th
52 minA bit of work🌶️
Brown Stew Chicken
Brown Stew Chicken from Jamaica. Times were inferred from the source steps.
55 minA bit of workNo chilli
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken Fried Rice from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
2 hr 45 minA bit of workNo chilli
Chicken Karaage
Chicken Karaage from Japan. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 15 minMediumNo chilli
Drunken noodles (pad kee mao)
Drunken noodles
Drunken noodles (pad kee mao) from Thailand. Times were inferred from the source steps.
13 minMedium🌶️
Egg Foo Young
Egg Foo Young from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
40 minA bit of workNo chilli
Eggplant Adobo
1. Slice 1 lb. small Japanese or Italian eggplant (about 3) into quarters lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 2"-wide pieces. Place in a medium bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
3 hr 8 minMediumNo chilli
General Tsos Chicken
General Tsos Chicken from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
24 minA bit of work🌶️
Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and Sour Soup from China. Times are typical for this kind of dish.
35 minA bit of workNo chilli
Japanese Katsudon
Japanese Katsudon from Japan. Times were inferred from the source steps.
13 minMediumNo chilli
Katsu Chicken curry
Katsu Chicken curry from Japan. Times were inferred from the source steps.
2 hr 17 minA bit of workNo chilli
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
50 minA bit of work🌶️
Ma Po Tofu
Ma Po Tofu from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
55 minA bit of workNo chilli
Lemongrass beef stew with noodles
Lemongrass beef stew with noodles from Thailand. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 45 minA bit of work🌶️
Mee goreng mamak
Mee goreng mamak from Malaysia. Times were inferred from the source steps.
31 minA bit of work🌶️
Mushroom & Chestnut Rotolo
Mushroom & Chestnut Rotolo from United Kingdom. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 5 minA bit of workNo chilli
Napa Cabbage with Dried Shrimp
Dried shrimp gives this Chinese dish a punch of salty umami flavor. You can find it at an Asian grocery store in the frozen or refrigerated section. Look for small-sized dried shrimp, about a 1/4-inch in size. If you use
2 hr 7 minA bit of work🌶️
Noodle bowl salad
Noodle bowl salad from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
14 minA bit of workNo chilli
Oxtail with broad beans
Toss the oxtail with the onion, spring onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail in the pan until browned all o
45 minA bit of work🌶️🌶️🌶️
Prawn stir-fry
Prawn stir-fry from Thailand. Times were inferred from the source steps.
14 minA bit of work🌶️
Ramen Noodles with Boiled Egg
Ramen Noodles with Boiled Egg from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
8 hr 22 minMedium🌶️
Rice paper dumplings
Rice paper dumplings from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
36 minA bit of workNo chilli
Salmon noodle soup
Salmon noodle soup from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
23 minMediumNo chilli
Sea bass with sizzled ginger, chilli & spring onions
Sea bass with sizzled ginger, chilli & spring onions from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
23 minMedium🌶️
Silken Tofu with Sesame Soy Sauce
Silken Tofu with Sesame Soy Sauce from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
48 hr 10 minEasyNo chilli
Shrimp Chow Fun
Shrimp Chow Fun from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
8 hr 25 minA bit of workNo chilli
Sichuan Style Stir-Fried Chinese Long Beans
Sichuan Style Stir-Fried Chinese Long Beans from China. Times are typical for this kind of dish.
35 minMedium🌶️
Singapore Noodles with Shrimp
Singapore Noodles with Shrimp from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
34 minA bit of work🌶️
Szechuan Beef
Szechuan Beef from China. Times are typical for this kind of dish.
35 minA bit of workNo chilli
Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
Teriyaki Chicken Casserole from Japan. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 35 minMediumNo chilli
Thai-style steamed fish
Thai-style steamed fish from Thailand. Times were inferred from the source steps.
25 minMedium🌶️
Vegetable Shepherds Pie
Vegetable Shepherds Pie from Ireland. Times were inferred from the source steps.
24 hr 10 minA bit of workNo chilli
Jerk chicken with rice & peas
Jerk chicken with rice & peas from Jamaica. Times were inferred from the source steps.
10 hr 40 minA bit of work🌶️
Vietnamese Grilled Pork (bun-thit-nuong)
Grilled Pork
Vietnamese Grilled Pork (bun-thit-nuong) from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
9 hr 35 minA bit of workNo chilli
Vietnamese pork salad
Vietnamese pork salad from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
22 minA bit of work🌶️
Vietnamese-style veggie hotpot
Vietnamese-style veggie hotpot from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
28 minMediumNo chilli
Yaki Udon
Boil some water in a large saucepan. Add 250ml cold water and the udon noodles. (As they are so thick, adding cold water helps them to cook a little bit slower so the middle cooks through). If using frozen or fresh noodl
28 minMedium🌶️
Beef Caldereta
Beef Caldereta from Philippines. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 7 minA bit of work🌶️
Beef pho
Beef pho from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 3 minA bit of work🌶️
Bistek
Bistek from Philippines. Times were inferred from the source steps.
9 hr 31 minMediumNo chilli
Honey Teriyaki Salmon
Honey Teriyaki Salmon from Japan. Times are typical for this kind of dish.
35 minEasyNo chilli
Kung Po Prawns
Kung Po Prawns from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
24 minMedium🌶️
Pad See Ew
Pad See Ew from Thailand. Times are typical for this kind of dish.
35 minMediumNo chilli
Sichuan Eggplant
This recipe calls for asian eggplants, or Japanese eggplants. They are long and thin compared to a European or globe eggplant, and much more tender and delicate. If you can't find them you can substitute globe eggplant,
47 minA bit of workNo chilli
Sushi
Sushi from Japan. Times are typical for this kind of dish.
30 minA bit of workNo chilli
Thai fried rice with prawns & peas
Thai fried rice with prawns & peas from Thailand. Times were inferred from the source steps.
14 minMedium🌶️
Vietnamese chicken salad
Vietnamese chicken salad from Vietnam. Times are typical for this kind of dish.
40 minA bit of work🌶️
Chinese Orange Chicken
Chinese Orange Chicken from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
57 minA bit of workNo chilli
Shrimp With Snow Peas
Shrimp With Snow Peas from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
33 minMediumNo chilli
Thai pork & peanut curry
Thai pork & peanut curry from Thailand. Times were inferred from the source steps.
34 minMediumNo chilli
Tofu, greens & cashew stir-fry
Tofu, greens & cashew stir-fry from Vietnam. Times were inferred from the source steps.
19 minMedium🌶️
Beef Mechado
Beef Mechado from Philippines. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 23 minMediumNo chilli
Spicy Thai prawn noodles
Spicy Thai prawn noodles from Thailand. Times were inferred from the source steps.
16 minMedium🌶️
Stir-fried chicken with chillies & basil
Stir-fried chicken with chillies & basil from Thailand. Times were inferred from the source steps.
33 minMedium🌶️
Sweet and Sour Pork
Sweet and Sour Pork from China. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 5 minA bit of workNo chilli
Wontons
Wontons from China. Times are typical for this kind of dish.
35 minMediumNo chilli
Soy-Glazed Meatloaves with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Carrots
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Dice potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from
1 hr 15 minMediumNo chilli
BEEF LOK LAK (Lok Lak Sach Ko)
BEEF LOK LAK
BEEF LOK LAK (Lok Lak Sach Ko) from Cambodia. Times were inferred from the source steps.
45 minA bit of workNo chilli
Bai Sach Chrouk – Grilled Pork with Rice
Bai Sach Chrouk – Grilled Pork with Rice from Cambodia. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 34 minA bit of workNo chilli
Satee
Satee from Aruba. Times were inferred from the source steps.
8 hr 30 minMediumNo chilli
Num Pang – Cambodian Baguette Sandwich
Num Pang – Cambodian Baguette Sandwich from Cambodia. Times were inferred from the source steps.
1 hr 10 minA bit of work🌶️