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Zhongba Dark Soy Sauce (Naturally Brewed)
$16
A soy sauce for deep color and flavor
An essential ingredient in the Chinese pantry, dark soy sauce is a sweetened, carameled soy sauce that also retains its salty-savoriness. It is used frequently for its unparalleled coloring and flavoring properties, adding an umami boost and an appealing red-brown tint to meats, braises, noodles and sauces.
If you've had Zhongba's naturally brewed light soy sauce—either the 360 light soy sauce for everyday use or the special handcrafted version—then you already love it and know that it redefines Chinese soy sauce. The Sichuan heritage brand's dark soy sauce similarly lives up to the famed Zhongba flavor profile.
Zhongba dark soy sauce is naturally brewed for 180 days. Unlike supermarket brands of dark soy sauce, which taste mainly of sugary molasses and little of soy, Zhongba dark soy sauce tastes like umami-rich soy sauce that's been sweetened. Its long fermentation and trademark mushrooms and spices deliver the complex taste and intense mahogany-red tint that make food so appetizing.
Note that "light soy sauce" is the term used for regular, salty soy sauce; "light" does not refer to sodium or calorie content but to the color and consistency compared to dark soy sauce, which is darker, thicker and sweeter. Also note that while Zhongba light soy sauces contain no additives or preservatives, the brand’s dark soy sauce includes natural caramel, a small amount of sucralose and a preservative.
Heritage Process
Unlike mass-produced soy sauces, which are often chemically hydrolyzed or rapidly fermented, Zhongba dark soy sauce is naturally brewed from premium, non-GMO soybeans, wheat, salt and water, then aged slowly in transparent tanks. Over 180 days, with sun and temperature exposure, proteins break down into amino acids, developing a layered savoriness and aromatic depth.
As a finishing touch, a prized wild mushroom from northern China is infused in the sauce, contributing its natural glutamic acid (though not a pronounced mushroom flavor). The dark soy sauce is further finished with natural caramel to sweeten and thicken it, a small amount of sucralose sweetener, msg and a preservative.
The result is a deep-red soy sauce with full body and mouthfeel and a complex, salty-sweet flavor.
History + Honors
Zhongba was first created during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and has been produced under the name Zhongba since 1828. That is also the year it became a tribute product, used in the emperors’ kitchens.
Zhongba is recognized as a China Time-Honored Brand, reflecting its long, documented history and adherence to traditional methods. It also is protected by Geographic Indication, meaning a Zhongba soy sauce can be made only in Zhongba, a district of Jiangyou, which is in the northern Sichuan city of Mianyang.
Compare To
China has a few variations on its foundational condiment, but three of the most useful are light soy sauce (which is synonymous with “soy sauce”), dark soy sauce and sweet soy sauce.
Light soy sauce, or simply “soy sauce”: An all-purpose soy sauce for cooking, seasoning and dipping
Dark soy sauce: A darker, thicker sweet-and-salty soy sauce used mainly for flavoring and coloring in tandem
Sweet soy sauce: A thick, sweetened soy sauce common in Yunnan Province and some other areas that is used mainly to add sweet umami
How To Use It
While dark soy sauce is used most famously to flavor and color braises, it's also added to stir-fries, noodles and sauces.
Zhongba dark soy sauce makes a terrific base for a meat marinade for a stir-fry or when roasting and grilling, as the reddish-brown color and rich umami it brings to a dish dazzle both the eye and the mouth.
And though one wouldn't want to use most dark soy sauces as a dipping sauce, the tastiness of Zhongba dark may tempt you to do so (diluted with a bit of water).
Storage
Store in a cool, dark place. If storing long-term, refrigerate to preserve flavor and aroma. Soy sauce is naturally shelf-stable due to its salt content, but refrigeration helps maintain its complexity over time.
In hong shao, or "red-braised," dishes, meats are braised in Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is added for the red color and a caramel note.
