Black soy sauce is a sweet condiment from Thailand made by adding molasses or extra sugar to dark soy sauce. It helps chefs achieve diverse flavor profiles quickly and is used to create umami in recipes. It is often substituted for fish sauces in vegetarian dishes and is a close relative of Indonesian kecap manis.
Not to be confused with the dark soy sauces of China or Japan, black soy sauce is a hyper-sweet condiment that originates from Thailand. Salty and sweet, this dark, syrupy sauce is created by adding molasses or extra sugar to an already dark variety of soy sauce. When added to a sauce or curry stir-fry, it helps chefs achieve a diverse flavor profile quickly.
A basic soy sauce, called shoyu, is made by fermenting soybeans, wheat, water and salt with a healthy enzyme agent called Aspergillus oryzae. The more grain a sauce contains, the lighter, sweeter, and less salty it will typically be. Conversely, less grain usually means a darker, saltier sauce. When no grain is used at all, this traditional soy sauce is called tamari.
When the darker, sweeter soy sauce is desired, many chefs will switch to black soy sauce. To make it, some do it by heating a dark soy sauce and dissolving molasses or palm sugar until it is left with the consistency of syrup. Others turn to a manufactured blend like that of the Dragon Fly or Pearl River Bridge brands. In 2011, the Koon Chun brand even promises a double black soy sauce experience.
Using this type of sauce helps cooks create what is known in many Asian cultures as umami in their recipes. Originating from the Japanese way of saying “delicious salty taste,” this culinary quest attempts to add a fifth category of flavors provided by the compound glutamate. This distinctive flavor reinforces the four major groups of flavors: bitter, salty, sour, and sweet. Many chefs would add spicy to this list as well, for a total of six basic flavor possibilities.
The use of black soy sauce is one of the many traditional ways Thai cooks have tried to quickly accommodate this diversity. Oyster or fish sauce is often used to add the same blend of sweet, savory, and earthy umami to various dishes. Black soy is regularly substituted for these fish sauces in vegetarian dishes. Other common Thai sauce bases are tamarind paste or shrimp, chili jam or salsa, and coconut milk.
A close relative of black soy sauce is an Indonesian version called kecap manis. Imbued with the same savory and sweet flavor, this sauce is often sweetened with palm sugar to create a less syrupy product. It is also often augmented by other ingredients such as star anise and, more frequently, garlic.
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