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why is soymilk white & soy sauce black 2005/5/29 17:25
Why is soy milk white but soy sauce black?I was told soya sauce is from fermented soy beans which accounts for the colour but my organic soya sauce is NOT fermented but is still black.
by diart  

not fermented? 2005/5/30 11:50
how do you make soy sauce without fermenting the soy beans??
by sazae-san rate this post as useful

good question 2005/5/30 17:26
my soy sauce claims to be not fermented (for diet reasons) so I shall ask the manufacturer how they do it and keep you posted
by diart rate this post as useful

Always thought... 2005/6/2 00:27
it was because of the way the Soy Beans are processed. Those used to make soy sauce are raoasted or something, like coffee beans. Soy beans for soy milk are just raw beans which are pressed for their "milk". NO?
by CT rate this post as useful

my un-scientific thoughts... 2005/6/2 12:28
I think soy milk is freshly processed beans, so it is white. But, fermented or not, soy sauce is definitely not a 'fresh' product. Something to do with the aging process (oxydation??? I am totally talking off the top of my head here...) makes it turn black, I guess?
by sazae-san rate this post as useful

Hmmmm...May not answer your question 2005/6/2 13:09
Soy Milk
Soy milk is squeezed from dried soybeans that have been soaked, ground, and cooked. Asian markets sell it just as it comes from the bean, thin and strong-tasting, perhaps sweetened. The soy milk sold in supermarkets and natural-foods stores tastes mild by comparison and is thickened to resemble dairy milk. Besides chocolate and vanilla, it comes in an increasing selection of flavors, such as chai and latte.

Like tofu, which is made from soy milk, it varies significantly by brand in taste, protein, and fat content. (To reduce fat, water is added.) Most soy milk is calcium-fortified to equal dairy milk. A replacement for dairy milk in recipes, unsweetened soy milk is best in desserts and some savory dishes.

SOY SAUCE
The two basic types of soy sauce used in Chinese cooking are light and dark. Dark soy is aged much longer than light soy, giving it a brownish-black color and much thicker texture. As its name suggests, light soy has a lighter color, plus a saltier flavor. It is used more in cooking, as the rather pungent odor and darker color of dark soy sauce can ruin the taste or appearance of a dish. (Dark soy is used in red-cooked dishes, and is good for marinating meat)

Taken from cooking sites :) Haha
by Dan A rate this post as useful

Fermentation make it dark... 2005/6/3 17:31
I was interested in the question because Ifve never heard such question among Japanese.
Anyway, I tried to find out the difference between soy sauce and soy milk.

As explained above, soy milk is made from soy beans only and squeezed from the soy beans after they are soaked in water for several hours.
So its white colour comes from the soy beans.

On the other hand, soy sauce is made from soy beans, wheat, soy sauce koji (malt) and salt, and it is fermented for some time after the soy sauce koji is added.
During the fermentation, the dark colour appears.
There are different kinds of soy sauce in Japan such as Shiro-shoyu, Tamari-shoyu, Koikuchi-shoyu, Usukuchi-shoyu, Saishikomi-shoyu. (shoyu= soy sauce.)
They all have different darkness and the Shiro-shoyu is not dark at all.
The smallest amount of soy beans is used to make the Shiro-shoyu, and its fermentation condition is quite different from other soy sauces in order to make it clear.

However all of them seem to be fermented even for a short period of time.
I tried to find out NOT fermented soy sauce in Japanese web sites, but found nothing.
If you have checked it out with the manufacturer, please post!
by neko rate this post as useful

soy sauce manufacturer 2005/6/6 12:54
thanks for yr reaction, I have not yet rcvd any answer from the manufacturer re; non fermentation. Maybe you could also try on www.bragg.com, it might prompt them.
by diart rate this post as useful

Ahhh... 2005/6/7 11:30
The truth comes out!

Braggs is made from Amino Acids. It is very very healthy for you and delicious. As far as I know it is made from soy beans but is not soy sauce.
Where did you find it in Japan
?!!!
by Jevon rate this post as useful

Non fermented Soy sauce may cause cancer 2005/6/25 13:53
True soya sauce, called shoyu, is made by fermenting soya beans with cracked roasted wheat, salt and water. Tamari is similar but slightly stronger and made without wheat (and so is gluten-free). Fermentation for shoyu and tamari takes about one year. Much of the soya sauce available in supermarkets is not true soya sauce but is made by chemical hydrolysis from defatted soya flour, caramel colouring, and corn syrup without any fermentation process.



A study undertaken by the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency, disclosed that some (but not all) soy sauces made by acid hydrolysis contain chemicals called chloropropanols. Of the samples found with one of the chloropropanols, (3-MCPD), about two-thirds also contained smaller amounts of another chloropropanol (1,2-DCP) that has the potential to cause cancer.

However, this potential to cause cancer is linked to the consumption of contaminated soy or oyster sauce on a very regular basis over long periods of time. Occasional consumption is unlikely to cause adverse health effects.

All of the unsafe soy sauces were manufactured using a process known as "acid hydrolysis".

Dont eat it if it is not properly fermented
by A Lim rate this post as useful

reply 2007/10/16 01:18
Soy sauce or soya sauce is a fermented sauce made from soybeans (soya beans), roasted grain, water and salt - black
Traditional soy milk is produced by soaking dry soybeans, and grinding them with wate - white.
by genisoy rate this post as useful

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