Light Soy Sauce
By: Sheri Wetherell

About

Particularly popular in the Kansai region of Japan, ushukuchi shoyu is a milder, light colored soy sauce. It is typically used in more delicate dishes, especially those that are lighter in color, in lieu of regular soy sauce which can be too intense.

Information
Other names: Ushukuchi Shoyu, 生抽, Ushukuchi, soy sauce
Translations: Gaismas Sojas mērce, Šviesos Sojų padažas, Lumina sos de soia, Light Umak od soje, Light Nước chấm đậu nành, Sos sojowy Light, Lichte sojasaus, प्रकाश सोया सॉस, Molho de Soja Light, Свет Соевый соус, Φως σάλτσα σόγιας, ضوء صلصة الصويا, 라이트 간장, Světlo sojová omáčka, Banayad na toyo, 光酱油, Llum Salsa de Soja, Light sojina omaka, Svetlo sójová omáčka, Luce salsa di soia, אור רוטב סויה, Ljus Soy Sauce, Светло соја сос, ライト醤油, Sauce soya légère, Helle Sojasoße, Light soyasaus, Luz Salsa de Soja, Світло Соєвий соус, Vaaleaa soijakastiketta, Light соев сос


Physical Description
Borwnish - dark brown liquid that can be easily mistaken for ordinary soy sauce.
Colors: dark brown


Tasting Notes
Flavors: salty, umami
Mouthfeel: Light liquid, Salty, Pungent
Food complements: Japanese and asian cuisines, Seafood
Wine complements: Plum wine, White wine
Beverage complements: Sake, Plum wine, Tea
Substitutes: Mushroom soy, Soy sauce


Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Choosing: Check for expiration date. Do not buy soy sauce with damaged or broken container. If you can see small solid particles settling in at the bottom of the container, do not buy that kind of soy sauce. 
Buying: Nowadays, you can buy Light Soy Sauce on a supermarket near you or on some local Japanese store. 


Preparation and Use
Light soy sauce is used mainly on Japanese cuisines. It goes well wit raw fish meat and other seafood. 


Conserving and Storing
Storing all kinds of Soy Sauce is just simple. Just put it in a container and place it in cool, dry place. Do not place it under direct sunlight for near radiation for heat will alter the molecular compound and may result to unpleasant taste.


Social/Political
In the early years of the Edo period, shoyu was the same as tamari soy sauce, but from the Genroku period to the Kyoho period (1688 to 1736), as the population of Edo (an old name for Tokyo) increased, and Edo's culture became prosperous, many modifications and tests were done in an attempt to satisfy Edo people's tastes . As a result, the modern-day koikuchi shoyu (strong-flavored soy sauce) which is made from soybeans and wheat, was produced. 
History: *Light soy sauce originally comes from Chinese jiang. It is believed that it was brought to Japan in the Nara period. After that, it developed independently in Japan. In the Heian period, jiang became popular and came to be a daily necessity. There were many kinds of jiang by this time.
*The Buddhist priest, Kakushin of the Shinshu area brought the recipe for miso to Japan from Song, China in 1250. Then the liquid which accumulated at the bottom of a cask was discovered to be good for cooking food. With great effort and repeated testing, it was made into tamari soy sauce. It is believed that the word shoyu (soy sauce) was already being used in 1520.