Posted on: Wednesday, February 23, 2005
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Soy sauce substitute may suffice
| • | Spice up your low-sodium diet |
| • | Cutting the salt in local-style favorites |
| • | Make steady changes to lower your sodium |
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
No mo' shoyu?
Wot, den?
For Islanders on low-sodium diets — and there's evidence that we all ought to lower our sodium intake — setting aside the shoyu cruet may be the toughest change to make. Is there an alternative?
We conducted a taste test in the office comparing full-salt soy sauce, lower-salt soy sauce, a homemade soy sauce substitute and Shirakiku brand Saltless Shoyu (Marukai, $10.99), called muen shoyu in Japan.
Auwe! The salt-free shoyu, which has just 10 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon, was universally loathed: "Nasty. Wouldn't use for anything." "Too strong. Not enough real shoyu flavor." "Blech! No thanks!" "Yuck!"
The taste was harsh, sulfuric and died abruptly on the tongue. Compared to the full, salt-then-sweet flavor and unctuous texture of conventional shoyu (780 milligrams per tablespoon — varies by brand), the saltless stuff was a complete bomb. I could imagine, however, that you might be able to use it half-and-half with lower-salt shoyu to get a deeper shoyu-like flavor in a stewed or braised dish.
Writer Donald A. Gazzaniga, who cut his sodium intake to a miniscule 500 milligrams a day after he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, developed the homemade soy sauce substitute, which was judged almost passable — not for pouring on your rice or dipping your sushi, but for use in recipes.
"Vinegary, garlicky. Good for a marinade," one taster wrote. "For cooking only," wrote another.
Interestingly, the lower-salt shoyu (520 milligrams sodium) received as many positive comments as the full-salt kind.
For the homemade shoyu substitute, you must first make a garlic-flavored vinegar, an easy overnight project. Peel and slice 3-5 garlic cloves. Heat 1 cup white vinegar over medium heat just until hot. Do not allow to simmer or boil. Pour hot vinegar over garlic cloves, let stand overnight, strain. Discard garlic. Now you've got garlic vinegar.
Use this to make:
Shoyu replacement
Combine ingredients. Pour into glass jar. Refrigerate and use as needed. Let it warm up and shake well before using. Keeps about 1 month.
Makes 1 cup — 16 servings (a tablespoon per serving).
• Per serving: 13 calories, .04 gram protein, 3.561 grams carbohydrate, .02 gram fiber, 1.71 milligrams sodium, 0 fat, 69.9 milligrams potassium I think this recipe might have potential but needs work. I am going to add a little sugar the next time I make it, to tame the vinegar. I am also going to try making it with rice vinegar and with balsamic vinegar. I'll let you know if I come up with something. You do the same.
