Sweet soy sauce facts for kids
A bottle of Indonesian kecap manis
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| Alternative names | Kecap manis |
|---|---|
| Type | Cooking sauce and condiment |
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | Java |
| Created by | Indonesians |
| Main ingredients | Fermented soy sweetened with palm sugar molasses |
| Variations | Soy sauce, mild sweet soy sauce |
Sweet soy sauce (called kecap manis in Indonesian) is a special kind of soy sauce. It comes from Indonesia and is known for being sweet and thick. It has a dark color and tastes a bit like molasses. This is because lots of palm sugar is added to it.
Kecap manis is used a lot with satay, which are grilled meat skewers. It is the most popular type of soy sauce in Indonesian cuisine. About 90% of all soy sauce made in Indonesia is sweet soy sauce.
Contents
What is Sweet Soy Sauce Made Of?
Sweet soy sauce is thicker and much sweeter than regular, salty soy sauce. It is made from fermented black soybeans. Other ingredients include roasted grain, salt, water, and a special mold called Aspergillus wentii.
The strong sweet taste comes from a lot of palm sugar. Up to half of the sauce can be palm sugar! Indonesian sweet soy sauce often has spices too. These can include star anise, cinnamon, black pepper, coriander, and clove.
How is Sweet Soy Sauce Used?
Kecap manis is a very important sauce in Indonesian cooking. It adds a nice sweet and savory taste to many popular dishes.
Some dishes that use it are nasi goreng (fried rice) and mie goreng (fried noodles). It's also used in ayam kecap (roasted chicken) and semur (beef stew).
This sauce is also great for marinating grilled dishes. Think of satay, ayam bakar (grilled chicken), and ikan bakar (grilled fish).
Sweet soy sauce is also a popular dipping sauce. People often mix it with chopped shallots (small onions) and spicy bird's eye chilies. This mix is great for dipping tahu goreng (fried tofu).
A simple and favorite meal for kids in Indonesia is steamed rice with a fried egg. They drizzle sweet soy sauce over it for extra flavor.
- Various sweet soy sauce recipes
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Gurame bakar (grilled gourami) served with sweet soy sauce as both marination and dipping sauce
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Ayam kecap, chicken poached in sweet soy sauce
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Semur daging, beef and potato stew in sweet soy sauce
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Babi kecap, pork simmered in sweet soy sauce
Popular Brands of Sweet Soy Sauce
In Indonesia, there are many brands of sweet soy sauce. Making kecap manis often started as a small family business.
However, some brands are very well known across Indonesia and in nearby countries. These include kecap manis ABC, Kecap Bango, Indofood, and Sedaap.
There are also many local brands found in specific regions. Some brands like Conimex and Inproba are popular in the Netherlands.
Can You Make Your Own Sweet Soy Sauce?
Sweet soy sauce is easy to find in Indonesian markets and Asian grocery stores around the world. But it can be hard to find in some parts of Europe and the Americas.
If you can't find it, you can make a substitute! Just mix regular soy sauce with brown sugar. Adding a tiny bit of molasses can make it even more like real sweet soy sauce.
