If you have ever cooked Chinese food at home, you already know that the number one condiment that you have to use is soy sauce. It has the flavour that makes the Chinese food taste the way it does, that nutty, spicy taste that we associate with Indo-Chinese cuisine. So, how is this sauce made? What are the health benefits of it? Let us try to know about this versatile condiment.
Soy sauce is made from fermented soya beans. Soy sauce in its current form was created more than 2000 years ago during the Western Han dynasty of ancient China. Now, the sauce has spread throughout East and Southeast Asia where it is used in cooking and as a condiment. It has a strong umami taste that is very typical Chinese cuisine. It can be added directly to the food or as a sauce later.
Soy sauce has both advantages and disadvantages. Let us discuss both one by one to know if we should eat it and how much of it should we consume.
Soy sauce is high in sodium | Unsplash
- Soy sauce supports healthy digestion. It is a condiment that will help your metabolism by rapidly digesting the food that you have consumed.
- It is very rich in anti-oxidants, which translates into a lot of added health benefits for people consuming it.
- Reduction in sodium content happens if you replace salt with soy sauce. It prevents bloating and that in turn helps you remain fit and in proper shape.
- Soy is also known to be a good anti-allergenic. It can help reduce inflammation too.
Disadvantages
- The very fact that it has the amount of umami flavour to replace salt is a big indicator of how much spodium content the sauce really has. It can be harmful if combined and had with a lot of salt. It works good only as a replacement for it.
- You should steer clear of soy sauce if you have hyperthyroidism.
- The presence of anti-nutrients is an issue with soy sauce. Like several other plant-based food items, soy has a lot of anti-nutrients too which blocks the body from absorbing nutrients.
- Soy is low in calories but high in sodium, which makes it a tricky combination to fathom. Although having soy sauce is not detrimental to your weight loss journey, it is important to have the condiment in moderation. Do not have more than 1 tablespoon of soya sauce per day and you will be fine.
So, use soy sauce to make your Chinese food taste better, but remember, just like everything else, eating in moderation is key. This versatile condiment will make sure your food is full of flavours and looks appealing too.
