A Pocket Guide to Taiwanese Soy Sauce
Just like coffee and wine, soy sauce is a reflection of its terroir; the types of soy sauce out there run the gamut. We’ve put together this resource to help you pick out exactly what you need.
all-purpose soy sauce
This is the soy sauce you reach for the most—the one you use in braises, stir fries, marinades, and more.
Traditional Firewood Soy Sauce
umami, bright, anisette
A soy sauce made from a blend of soybeans and wheat, with mirin and licorice. Complements Chinese 5-spice.
Taiwan Pineapple Soy Sauce
briny, bright, vegetal
A brothy, slightly herbaceous soy sauce fermented with pineapple. The brew takes on a hint of the fruit's golden color.
Vat Bottom Soy Sauce
salty, fragrant, full
A high-salinity soy sauce from the bottom of the fermenting vat. Measure out less than usual when using.
Steamed Fish
Amber River Soy Sauce
Amber River Soy Sauce is the perfect accompaniment to delicate steamed fish.
Three Cup Chicken 三杯雞
Vat Bottom Soy Sauce
This dish is sweet, salty, fragrant, and garlicky, with basil as the headliner.
Amber River Soy Sauce
The Finishing Soy Sauce
salty, umami, mellow, with chocolate and barnyard undertones
This single-origin soy sauce is exemplary of traditional Taiwanese soy sauce. It is made from Taoyuan-grown Tainan #5 black soybeans, whose high protein content lends deeper umami to the brew. Plus, it's gluten-free because it uses toasted rice bran, not wheat, in fermentation.
Think of this soy sauce as the cherry-on-top for your dish. Its flavor shines straight out the bottle, so you can use it as a finisher or a dip.
Steamed Egg 蒸蛋羹
Amber River Soy Sauce
A perfectly silken steamed egg with chili crisp, scallion, and cilantro is a delightful experience.
Dong Po Pork 東坡肉
AMBER RIVER & FIREWOOD SOY SAUCE
This melty, jiggly, soy sauce-braised pork belly will be the star of any dinner table.
Soy Paste
This is a uniquely Taiwanese ingredient made by cooking soy sauce with a starch like glutinous rice to give it body, then lightly sweetening it. Versatile in nature, it can be a dip, drizzle, glaze, stir fry sauce, baking ingredient, and more. Sky's the limit here.
Traditional Firewood Soy Paste
umami, bright, anisette
Made with black soybeans, thickened with glutinous rice flour. Contains mirin and licorice for a warm, anise-like flavor.
miso soy paste
sweet, salty, umami
A blend of miso and single-origin soy paste made from Taiwan-grown black soybeans. Use it anywhere you'd use oyster sauce.
SOY PASTE WITH GLUTINOUS RICE
sweet, salty, umami, chocolatey
A 450-day aged soy sauce thickened with glutinous rice. Great as a dip, glaze, or finisher for stir fries.
Red Oil Wontons 紅油抄手
MISO SOY PASTE
The slippery, soft wonton wrappers with velvety pork filling make for a beautiful contrast to a spicy, sour, and tangy sauce.
Basque Cheesecake 巴斯克乳酪蛋糕
SOY PASTE WITH GLUTINOUS RICE
This recipe is from our soy sauce brewer Ozzy Hsieh. It's tart, caramel-y, and complex.
What Makes Taiwanese Soy Sauce?
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional Taiwanese soy sauces are made only from black soybeans. which have a richer and rounder, almost chocolatey, flavor than yellow soybeans. Many Taiwanese soy sauces also contain a touch of sugar to balance out the richness of the black soybean.
Where is Your Soy Sauce From?
Our Taiwanese soy sauces and soy pastes are handmade by Yu Ding Xing 御鼎興, a family-run brewery in Xi Luo, Taiwan that has been operating since 1947. You can learn more about their history in our documentary.
How Is It Brewed?
Taiwan’s soy sauce brewing process is often described as “sun brewed” or 日曬. The terracotta vats sit covered in a brick-lined brewyard, exposed to sunlight for 6 months to a year. The heat generated from the sun is absorbed by the earthenware vessel, creating a a hot fermentation environment with high microbial activity. The soy sauce is ready relatively quickly compared to soy sauce fermented in cooler climates or indoors.
Time, Terroir, Taiwan: Soy Sauce Brewing in XiLuo
A mini documentary by Chen Office and Yun Hai
More Things to Check Out, Because We Love Yu Ding Xing
黑豆油: Everything I Know About Taiwanese Soy Sauce, Part One
