Dark soy sauce facts for kids
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| Type | Soy sauce |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | China |
| Associated national cuisine | |
Dark soy sauce is a special kind of soy sauce used in Chinese cooking. It has a deep, dark color. Chefs use it to make dishes look rich and appealing. It also adds a unique flavor.
This sauce is a bit thicker than other soy sauces. It is also less salty. This means you can use more of it for color without making your food too salty. Dark soy sauce is aged for a longer time. Sometimes, a little molasses or other sweet things are added to it. This gives it a slightly sweet taste. You will often find dark soy sauce in stews, stir-fries, and various sauces. It is great for dishes that need a beautiful dark color, like "red cooked" foods.
What's in a Name?
| Chinese names | |
|---|---|
| Mandarin | |
| Chinese | 老抽 |
| Literal meaning | old extract |
| Hanyu Pinyin | lăo chōu |
| Bopomofo | ㄌㄠˇㄔㄡ |
| Wade–Giles | lao3 ch'ou1 |
| Yale Romanization | lău chōu |
| IPA | [làu̯.ʈʂʰóu̯] |
| Cantonese | |
| Traditional Chinese | 老抽 |
| Yale Romanization | lóuh chāu |
| IPA | [lo̬u.tsʰɐ́u] |
| Jyutping | lou5 cau1 |
In Chinese, dark soy sauce is called lăo chōu (Chinese: 老抽). This name means "old extract." It comes from a longer name, lăo tóu chōu (simplified Chinese: 老头抽; traditional Chinese: 老頭抽), which means "old man extract."
This name helps us understand the difference between dark soy sauce and other types. For example, "light soy sauce" is often called shēng chōu (Chinese: 生抽). This means "raw extract." So, "old extract" (dark soy sauce) is aged longer, while "raw extract" (light soy sauce) is not aged as much.
