Have you ever had a thought regarding what makes a few soy sauces such an incredible experience? Rather than just salt, the kind that adds a hearty, rich flavor to your food, it’s often a small number on the label that you might altogether forget: Total Nitrogen. This one piece of information can turn your soy sauce buying and using around.
So, what is Total Nitrogen in soy sauce and why should it concern you for your cooking? Let’s put it in a much simpler way.
Total Nitrogen (TN) – A Prime Indicator
TN indicates the presence of nitrogen compounds primarily in the soy sauce. These nitrogen compounds in soy sauce are mostly derived from amino acids and small proteins. You can think of TN as a note with upper mark for the soy sauce’s flavor power.Its great significance
Increased TN means a more complex, umami flavor. It also means richer aroma and better nutrition. It is the best representation of the genuine, traditional, and high-quality soy sauce. Seeing a high TN value is the clue that you are having the immersion into authentic taste.
Total Nitrogen is not a part of added ingredients in soy sauce. It is the result of good brewing practices. The entire process hinges on quality raw materials and fermentation.
Traditional Brewing vs. Chemical Methods
Traditional soy sauce can take several months and even up to a few years to ferment. The employment of Koji enzymes requires exact timing, which is why this is the case. The end product has a high total nitrogen level and is rich in taste. A few “soy sauces” are made quickly and cheaply with the use of chemicals. This method involves adding acid to the mixture to hydrolyse soy protein within hours. Therefore, it becomes a sharp, salty liquid with a lower total nitrogen count and a flat flavor.
Finding out what Total Nitrogen in soy sauce is helps you see past brand names. The high TN number shows something important about the bottle. This means a better taste, aroma and nutritional value.
More Pleasant and Stronger Aroma
The same compounds that make TN also create soy sauce aroma. High-TN soy sauce smells fragrant and appetizing. It’s complex and inviting. It smells less like salt and more like aged wine or cheese. This smell makes cooking and eating better.
You have acquired knowledge that the products are available. And now you have the power to shop for soy sauce like a pro.
Reading the Label: Your First Clue
What could be a better clue than the label itself? A lot of credible Asian brands that demonstrate total nitrogen content are very good. The flags on this bottle to look for are “Total Nitrogen,” “TN,” “總氮” (in Chinese), or “전질소” (in Korean). You can often find it as “≥ 1.5 g/100ml.” It is a simple rule: the higher the number, the better the quality.
