This is the most misunderstood area. It is necessary to discuss dark soy sauce first. People frequently think about what is the difference between soy sauce and thick soy sauce. Instead, they often confuse “dark” with “thick”.
First, What about Dark Soy Sauce?
Dark soy sauce is not just a stronger version of light soy sauce. It starts as regular soy sauce but is aged longer. It also has molasses or caramel color added. This changes its properties completely.
The end product is a sauce thicker than light soy sauce. It’s much darker in color. It’s less salty. Its flavor is richer with a clear hint of sweetness. Dark soy sauce is used less for saltiness. It’s used more for adding beautiful, deep brown color to dishes. As seasoning experts say at America’s Test Kitchen, this process of aging the sauce, together with the addition of molasses, creates the characteristic syrupy look, and flavor. As a result, this sauce performs great in a cooking technique called “red-braising.”
Let’s Now Talk about the Real “Thick Soy Sauce”
The real “thick soy sauce” is a completely different product. On the label, it is frequently indicated as soy paste or jiàngyóu gāo (醬油膏). This sauce, however, is different not only from dark soy sauce but also from all other varieties in both thickness and sweetness.
The base of this sauce is soy sauce. But it contains an extremely large amount of sugar and a thickener. The thickener is usually cornstarch or rice flour. This results in a glossy, syrupy liquid. It really looks like thin molasses, or a glaze of some kind. Its taste is actually much sweeter and less salty than dark soy sauce.
The table below will show you the differences and properties of each.
There is a difference between just knowing and knowing how to use which sauce in the proper way. When wielding this knowledge, you will present your dishes in utterly different taste, texture, and look.
