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Soy sauce, an essential ingredient in the kitchen and condiment on the table.
Not only required in Japanese cooking, but in Chinese, Korean and many other
cuisines worldwide. Whether you use it sparingly when called for in recipes or
douse everything in sight with it, chances are you have a bottle in the cupboard
or in the fridge.
With hundreds of brands and varieties available how do you a choose soy
sauce? Well, in your local supermarket chances are you won't have to worry about
choosing from hundreds. Still, with ethnic cuisines gaining in popularity, you
will have some choices at most any neighborhood supermarket. Here are a few of
my favorites and one or two to avoid.
Kikkoman Brand
 You really can't go wrong with Kikkoman, (unpaid endorsement) a huge seller in Japan and in the US. The most popular is not
always the best, but it is in this case. Wait - you're not done choosing
yet. There are still many varieties of Kikkoman soy sauce. Here are the
two you will most likely find at you local grocer:
Kikkoman Soy
Sauce (original) - Have this in your kitchen and you'll be ok in any
situation. May be used for cooking any dish and tastes great with sushi.
 Kikkoman Lite Soy Sauce - Same as the original but with 40% less
sodium. I was surprised when (not being a fan of modified healthier foods) I
tried this for the first time and loved it. In fact I now prefer it over the
original. I find more can be added to foods without over-salting them. It is
considerably more expensive but one bottle of soy sauce goes a long way so
splurge.
Sashimi Soy Sauce
 Not required but if you're a true sushi or sashimi fanatic then you'll
want this on hand. The main difference between standard and sashimi
varieties is salt content. Sashimi and sushi taste better with saltier soy
sauce. These can be hard to find. Look for Kikkoman brand but try others. Some
smaller companies make more expensive gourmet soy sauces for this and other
purposes.
The "B" List
The best is a matter of taste, not fact. As a matter of taste I do not like
La Choy brand. This is really marketed as a Chinese soy sauce but very common as
it is found on grocery shelves everywhere. I suggest you put it back. I also
suggest staying away from cheaper Japanese brands. Case in point - Yamasa brand.
Not too bad, but once you begin sampling, a dollar more per bottle seems well
spent on another brand.
Buy Soy Sauce On-line
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