Coconut aminos
 A bowl of soy sauce | |
| Alternative names | Shoyu, jiàngyóu, soya sauce |
|---|---|
| Type | Condiment |
| Region or state | East Asia and Southeast Asia |
| Main ingredients | Soybeans |
Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English[1]) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds.[2] It is recognized for its saltiness and pronounced umami taste.
Soy sauce was created in its current form about 2,200 years ago during the Western Han dynasty of ancient China.[3][4][5][6] Since then, it has become an important ingredient in East and Southeast Asian cooking as well as a condiment worldwide.[7]
Description
Coconut aminos is produced from the nectar (sap) collected from the unopened flower of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). The sap is fermented briefly, and some salt is added before being bottled. It typically has a lower sodium content than soy sauce, and retains some of the natural sugars from the coconut sap, resulting in a flavour that doesn't taste like coconut, but instead similar to soy sauce but with a sweeter, less salty profile.[8][9][10]
Use and storage
Coconut Aminos have a salty and slightly sweet taste and can substitute soy sauce at a ratio of 1:1 as a low sodium alternative. It can be used as a dipping sauce or as seasoning in cooking. Unopened bottles are shelf-stable and can be stored in the pantry for up to 3 years, but once opened, it is recommended to store it in the refrigerator where it will keep up to a year. If it starts to give off a vinegary smell, it is recommended to discard it.[11][12]
History
Asia
China
| Coconut aminos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 醬油 / 豆油 / 豉油 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 酱油 / 豆油 / 豉油 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "sauce oil" / "bean oil" / "fermented bean oil" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burmese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burmese | ပဲငံပြာရည် | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IPA | my | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | xì dầu / nước tương / tàu vị yểu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chữ Nôm | 豉油 / 渃醬 / 豆味油 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thai name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thai | ซีอิ๊ว | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RTGS | si-io | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 간장 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanja | 간醬 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "seasoning sauce" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 醤油 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hiragana | しょうゆ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malay name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malay | kicap | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indonesian name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indonesian | kecap | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Filipino name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tagalog | toyo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lao name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lao | ເຕົ້າຈ້ຽວ (tao chiāu) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Khmer name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Khmer | ស៊ីអ៊ីវ (sii 'iiv) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soy sauce (醬油, jiàngyóu) is considered almost as old as soy paste—a type of fermented paste (jiang, 醬) obtained from soybeans—which had appeared during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and was listed in the bamboo slips found in the archaeological site Mawangdui (馬王堆).[5][4] There are several precursors of soy sauce that are associated products with soy paste. The oldest is qingjiang (清醬), which appeared in AD 40 and was listed in Simin Yueling (四民月令).[6] Others are jiangqing (醬清), chizhi (豉汁) and chiqing (豉清), which were recorded in the Qimin Yaoshu (齊民要術) in AD 540.[6] By the time of the Song dynasty (960–1279 AD), the term jiàng yóu (醬油) had become the accepted name for the liquid condiment,[6] documented in two books: Shanjia Qinggong (山家清供)[13] and Pujiang Wushi Zhongkuilu (浦江吳氏中饋錄)[14] during the Song dynasty (960–1279 AD).
Like many salty condiments, soy sauce was originally a way to stretch salt, historically an expensive commodity. During the Zhou dynasty of ancient China, fermented fish with salt was used as a condiment in which soybeans were included during the fermentation process.[4][15] By the time of the Han dynasty, this had been replaced with the recipe for soy paste and its by-product soy sauce, by using soybeans as the principal ingredient,[5][6] with fermented fish-based sauces developing separately into fish sauce.[16]
The 19th century Sinologist Samuel Wells Williams wrote that in China, the best soy sauce was "made by boiling beans soft, adding an equal quantity of wheat or barley, and leaving the mass to ferment; a portion of salt and three times as much water are afterwards put in, and the whole compound left for two or three months when the liquid is pressed and strained".[17]
Japan
A condiment that predated soy sauce in Japan was gyoshō (魚醤), a fish sauce.[18] When practitioners of Buddhism came to Japan from China in the 7th century,[19] they introduced vegetarianism and brought many soy-based products with them, such as soy sauce,[18] which is known as shōyu (醤油)[20][21] in Japan. Shoyu exportation began in 1647 by the Dutch East India Company.[21]
Korea
The earliest soy sauce brewing in Korea seems to have begun in the era of the Three Kingdoms.[citation needed] Jangdoks used for soy sauce brewing are found in the mural paintings of Anak Tomb No. 3 from the 4th century Goguryeo.[22]
In Samguk sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms era, it is written that ganjang (soy sauce) and doenjang (soybean paste), along with meju (soybean block) and jeotgal (salted seafood), were prepared for the wedding ceremony of the King Sinmun in February 683.[23] Sikhwaji, a section from Goryeosa (History of Goryeo), recorded that ganjang and doenjang were included in the relief supplies in 1018, after a Khitan invasion, and in 1052, when a famine occurred.[24] Joseon texts such as Guhwangchwaryo and Jeungbo sallim gyeongje contain the detailed procedures on how to brew good quality ganjang and doenjang.[verification needed] Gyuhap chongseo explains how to pick a date for brewing, what to forbear, and how to keep and preserve ganjang and doenjang.[23]
Philippines
In the Philippines, soy sauce was likely first recorded through the documentation of the traditional dish adobo in 1613 via the San Buenaventura paper. Food historian Raymond Sokolov noted that the ingredients used in the dish, including soy sauce, likely were present in the native cuisine even before the colonial-era record.[25]
Europe
Records of the Dutch East India Company list soy sauce as a commodity in 1737, when seventy-five large barrels were shipped from Dejima, Japan, to Batavia (present-day Jakarta) on the island of Java. Thirty-five barrels from that shipment were then shipped to the Netherlands.[26] In the 18th century, diplomat and scholar Isaac Titsingh published accounts of brewing soy sauce. Although earlier descriptions of soy sauce had been disseminated in the West, his was among the earliest to focus specifically on the brewing of the Japanese version.[27] By the mid-19th century, Japanese soy sauce gradually disappeared from the European market, and the condiment became synonymous with the Chinese product.[28] Europeans were unable to make soy sauce because they did not have access to Aspergillus oryzae, the fungus used in its brewing.[28] Soy sauce made from ingredients such as portobello mushrooms were disseminated in European cookbooks during the late 18th century. A Swedish recipe for "Soija" was published in the 1770 edition of Cajsa Warg's Hjelpreda i Hushållningen för Unga Fruentimber and was flavored with allspice and mace.[29]
United States
Soy sauce production in the United States began in the Territory of Hawaii in 1905 by Yamajo Soy Co, which by 1909 was renamed the Hawaiian Soy Company Ltd.[30] La Choy started selling hydrolyzed vegetable protein–based soy sauce in 1933.[31]
Production
Soy sauce is made either by fermentation or by hydrolysis. Some commercial sauces have both fermented and chemical sauces.
Flavor, color, and aroma developments during production are attributed to non-enzymatic Maillard browning.[32]
Variation is usually achieved as the result of different methods and durations of fermentation, different ratios of water, salt, and fermented soy, or through the addition of other ingredients.
Traditional
Traditional soy sauces are made by mixing soybeans and grain with mold cultures such as Aspergillus oryzae and other related microorganisms and yeasts (the resulting mixture is called Koji in Japan; the term koji is used both for the mixture of soybeans, wheat, and mold as well as for the mold itself). Historically, the mixture was fermented naturally in large urns and under the sun, which was believed to contribute extra flavors. Today, the mixture is placed in a temperature- and humidity-controlled incubation chamber.[33]
Traditional soy sauces take months to make:
- Soaking and cooking: The soybeans are soaked in water and boiled until cooked. Wheat is roasted and crushed.
- Koji culturing: Equal amounts of boiled soybeans and roasted wheat are mixed to form a grain mixture. A culture of Aspergillus spore is added to the grain mixture and mixed, or the mixture is allowed to gather spores from the environment itself. The cultures include:
- Aspergillus: a genus of fungus that is used for fermenting various ingredients (the cultures are called koji in Japanese). Three species are used for brewing soy sauce:
- A. oryzae: Strains with high proteolytic capacity are used for brewing soy sauce.[34]
- A. sojae: This fungus also has a high proteolytic capacity.
- A. tamarii:[35] This fungus is used for brewing tamari, a variety of soy sauce.
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae: the yeasts in the culture convert some of the sugars to ethanol which can undergo secondary reactions to make other flavor compounds
- Other microbes contained in the culture:
- Bacillus spp. (genus): This organism is likely to grow in soy sauce ingredients, and to generate odors and ammonia.
- Lactobacillus species: This organism makes a lactic acid that increases the acidity in the feed.
- Aspergillus: a genus of fungus that is used for fermenting various ingredients (the cultures are called koji in Japanese). Three species are used for brewing soy sauce:
- Brewing: The cultured grain mixture is mixed into a specific amount of salt brine for wet
Notes
Came about as early as 2019 and has now become mainstream, and widely sold in markets globally.
Heaps of sigcov sources.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-are-coconut-aminos-3376806
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/09/16/what-is-coconut-aminos/86120368007/
https://www.marthastewart.com/why-chefs-love-coconut-aminos-11851252
Taste; Savory, slightly sweet.
A seasoning sauce made from fermented sap of coconut palms and salt, and is lower in sodium than traditional soy sauce. (~72% less sodium) - 90 mg sodium per teaspoon.
https://parade.com/1398667/emilyshiffer/what-is-coconut-aminos/
https://www.mensjournal.com/food/costco-soy-sauce-alternative-nutiva-coconut-aminos
Goes well for salad dressings, dipping sauces and tofu or steak marinades. Also used as a 1:1 soy sauce swap.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/coconut-aminos-145936064.html
https://www.aol.com/articles/why-chefs-swapping-soy-sauce-150000384.html
References
- ↑ "Definition of SOY SAUCE". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ↑
Leboffe, Michael; Pierce, Burton (30 July 2006). Microbiology Laboratory Theory and Application (2nd ed.). Morton Publishing Company. p. 317. ISBN 9780895827081. Search this book on
- ↑ "Soy Sauce, China's Liquid Spice". www.flavorandfortune.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "調料文化：醬油的由來". 30 January 2012. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Hsing-Tsung, Huang (2000). Joseph Needham: Science and Civilisation in China, Vol.6, Part 5. Cambridge University Press. p. 346. ISBN 978-0521652704. Search this book on
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Hsing-Tsung, Huang (2000). Joseph Needham: Science and Civilisation in China, Vol.6, Part 5. Cambridge University Press. pp. 358–359. ISBN 978-0521652704. Search this book on
- ↑ "Shπyu:The Flavor of Japan" (PDF). The Japan Foundation Newsletter Vol. XXVII, No. 2. January 2000. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2025. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Coconut Aminos vs Soy Sauce". thenutritioninsider.com. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
- ↑ "Health Benefits of Coconut Aminos". WebMD. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
- ↑ "Coconut aminos: Health benefits and how to use it". www.medicalnewstoday.com. 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
- ↑ "Here's How Long You Have With That Opened Bottle Of Coconut Aminos". Yahoo Life. 2024-08-19. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ↑ "What Is Coconut Aminos?". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ↑ 林洪. 山家清供. Search this book on
- ↑ 浦江吴氏. 浦江吳氏中饋錄. Search this book on
- ↑ zh:醬
- ↑ Kurlansky, Mark (2002). Salt: A world history. New York: Walker and Co. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-8027-1373-5. Search this book on
- ↑ Williams, Samuel Wells (1848), The Middle Kingdom: A Survey of the Geography, Government, Education, Social Life, Arts, Religion, &c. of the Chinese Empire and Its Inhabitants, 2 vol. Wiley & Putnam
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Hosking, Richard (24 February 2015). A dictionary of Japanese food : ingredients & culture. Ishige, Naomichi. (First ed.). Tokyo, Japan: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9781462903436. OCLC 876044632. Search this book on
- ↑ Wilson, Kathy (2010). Biotechnology and genetic engineering. New York: Facts on File. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-8160-7784-7. Search this book on
- ↑ Sugiura, K.; Sugiura, M. (Fall 2019). "Soy Sauce Allergy". Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 24 (7): 852–855. doi:10.1111/j.1468-3083.2009.03512.x. PMID 19943834. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ 21.0 21.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:25 - ↑ 신, 동민 (9 November 2015). 행복을 부르는 맛 '간장'...집에서 만든 만능간장소스 하나면 OK [Ganjang, the flavour that brings happiness... Home-made versatile ganjang sauce is all you need]. Maekyung Economy (1831). Retrieved 9 November 2016.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 하, 상도 (11 January 2016). 신라시대에 왕비 폐백품목에도 있었던 식품은? [Guess what food was used for pyebaek ceremony of a Silla queen]. Chosun pub (in 한국어). Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 김, 성윤 (19 January 2012). 정월에 담근 장이 가장 맛있다는데... [Jang tastes the best when made in the first month of the year (in the Lunar calendar)]. The Chosun Ilbo (in 한국어). Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Adobo: The History Behind A National Favorite. Pepper Magazine.
- ↑ Tanaka, p. 6.
- ↑ Titsingh, Isaac. (1781). "Bereiding van de Soya" ("Producing Soy Sauce"), Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap (Transactions of the Batavian Academy), Vol. III. OCLC 9752305
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Tanaka, p. 7.
- ↑ Warg, Cajsa (1770) Hjelpreda i Hushållningen för Unga Fruentimber, "Soija" pp. 70–71 of the appendix
- ↑ "How Japanese and Japanese-Americans Brought Soyfoods to the United States and the Hawaiian Islands - A History (1851-2011) - SoyInfo Center". www.soyinfocenter.com.
- ↑ Shurtleff, William; Aoyagi, Akiko (2004). "History of Soy Sauce, Shoyu, and Tamari – Page 7". Soy Info Center. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ↑ Lertsiri, Sittiwat; Maungma, Roungdao; Assavanig, Apinya; Bhumiratana, Amaret (1 May 2001). "Roles of the Maillard Reaction in Browning During Moromi Process of Thai Soy Sauce". Journal of Food Processing and Preservation. 25 (2): 149–162. doi:10.1111/j.1745-4549.2001.tb00450.x. ISSN 1745-4549.
- ↑ "Tamari, Soy Sauce – San-J". san-j.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Maheshwari, D.K.; Dubey, R.C.; Saravanamuthu, R. (2010). Industrial exploitation of microorganisms. New Delhi: I.K. International Pub. House. p. 242. ISBN 978-93-8002-653-4. Search this book on
- ↑ Dorner, J W (December 1983). "Production of cyclopiazonic acid by Aspergillus tamarii Kita". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 46 (6): 1435–1437. Bibcode:1983ApEnM..46.1435D. doi:10.1128/AEM.46.6.1435-1437.1983. ISSN 0099-2240. PMC 239590. PMID 6660879.
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