Soy sauce seems to be such an integral part of the sushi experience. I was eating sushi that I cooked at home and couldn’t help but become interested about the different etiquettes of its use, and research the health issues that come along with this condiment.
Does Sushi Need Soy Sauce?
Firstly, soy sauce is never required to be put on the sushi to add to its taste. Generally sushi eaters don’t apply condiments to the sushi roll in order to maintain the pure flavor of the roll.
Usually the only time sushi is applied is with the dipping of soy sauce to foods like fish sushi or sashimi. But it is optional depending on the sushi restaurant, because sometimes sushi chefs mix their own sauces.
Personally I love to add a ton of salty condiment to my veggie rolls that are too bland. This way I can taste not only the texture of the ingredients but the salty-sweet of the soy sauce.
Traditional Application
However, in Japan this is clearly not the case and some chefs already pre apply the necessary sauce.
Hence to give diners the perfect eating experience, as you can see in this clip from Jiro Dreams of Sushi:
Furthermore, you will notice in this video how master Jiro meticulously handles the condiments to perfection. Showing the carefulness of each step and the mastery of the application of soy sauce.
So you can see that the traditional application is to give the sushi a balance with soy sauce and not overpower the other textures.
How to Properly Dip Sushi in Soy Sauce
Though if you plan on using the condiment for your sushi, it follows a simple steps anybody can do. Traditionally, sushi diners follow a specific way to properly douse the sushi.
Regular Rolls
Firstly as stated before, you want to keep the use of sauce to a minimum to avoid destroying the careful balance of flavors.
So if the itamae(sushi chef) has already flavored it, don’t try to add more. Because this way you can enjoy the simple balanced flavors that are already there.
Secondly, the way to properly give an additional saltiness to your sushi roll is through slightly touching the seaweed nori that’s on the outside to the sauce. Or only a bit on the top of the roll. Since the rice tends to absorb too much of the saltiness, and oversaturate.
Also you can use the yellow ginger strips on the side as a sauce brush on the sushi. Which allows you to control the amount of sauce that gets added to your sushi, by dipping the strip into the condiment.
Fish Rolls
However, the process is a tiny bit different if you’re planning on dipping sushi rolls made with fish.
So for fish rolls, never take the topping apart(called “neta”). Because this symbolizes a huge disrespect to the itamae who spends effort to make it.
Following, since fish sushi doesn’t have seaweed wrap, you don’t dip it like it is a regular roll by either the top or the nori.
Hence you turn the sushi roll sideways then downwards while grabbing hold of the neta to dip it on the sauce.
Additionally you can see more of this sushi sauce etiquette in this video:
White Soy Sauce VS Light Soy Sauce
White Soy Sauce
Firstly white soy sauce can be said to be very similar to Chinese rice wine and dark sauce in that it has a very subtle flavor. Moreover not only is its flavor different than regular soy sauce, so is the fermentation process.
Regular sauce is made by roasting wheat along with steamed soybeans before the fermentation process. For white soy sauce, the the soybeans are roasted and wheat is steamed to turn the starch into sugar to get the subtle sweetness.
Additionally it is a popular condiment that’s great for sushi restaurants to add a salty flavor without dominating the other flavors. Which is created through shortening the fermentation to create the lighter texture and sweet aroma.
Light Soy Sauce
First of all, the light soy sauce is most often used in Chinese cooking and is a lot richer and less salty than regular soy sauce.
And the content is thin with reddish-brown color. Comparatively it has higher sodium than white soy sauce and is for light seasoning and dipping.
Also it gives dishes more of a subtle umami flavor to dishes, and is commonly used in Kansai cuisine in Japan.
Is Sushi with Soy Sauce Healthy?
Firstly, although soy sauce is okay if it is used sparingly. However, this doesn’t mean using a lot of soy sauce is okay for everyone.
Recommended Intake
Especially for individuals who have problems with high blood pressure. Because in a single tablespoon of regular soy sauce already contains more than 50% of the daily recommended value. And that is 900–1225 milligrams of sodium.
Hence even a tablespoon of soy sauce for your sushi already turns it into a high-sodium food. Because even reduced-soy sauce still contains around 600 mg per tablespoon.
Soy Sauce Healthy Benefits
Contrastingly soy sauce might actually enable individuals to improve their digestive system. Because the fermentation of the sauce promotes the growth of certain beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Meanwhile sodium is also a necessary part of our human diet. For bodily functions, regulating nerve transmission, and blood pressure.
In this source scientist has shown that this condiment actually contains anti-allergenic abilities. Furthermore the participants in the experiment exhibited improvements in their allergies.
Moreover, it actually shows to be high in a natural antioxidant called isoflavones. Which helps your body slow down the aging process, decrease chances of heart disease, and enhance bacteria protection.
Soy Sauce Side Effects
While I had written about many of the healthy benefits that are associated with this condiment. There are also many side effects from over-significant amounts you should be careful of.
First of all, you have to be careful about which soy product you choose. Because many in the market are made with carcinogenic compounds and additives to enhance the color.
And one of these dangerous carcinogenic compounds, as research in this source has found, contains a chemical known as 3-MCPD. Which is deeply connected tumors and infertility.
Although we talked about the health benefits of isoflavones, there are also negatives which you may not be aware of. Although it is a strong antioxidant, it is also a chemical which acts like estrogen.
Following, this chemical contains properties that block out the naturally produced estrogens from binding to receptors.
And it can decrease male prostate cancer risk. But too much can have adverse effects on female fertility and reproductive development in both genders.
Furthermore, overconsumption can cause interruption to the synthesis of thyroid hormones and increase risk of kidney stones.
Soy Free Sushi Options
Nonetheless, the fact that everything from pickled vegetables to sushi onigiri has soy condiment can be troubling for those who are allergic to soy. Moreover it can be very hard to avoid, since a large part of the Japanese cooking and fermentation involves soy products.
Hence the best way to avoid coming in contact with soy is to eat rolls that are of fruits and veggies. Additionally make sure there are no sauce or marinade, and that the sauce is coconut aminos instead.
Besides veggie rolls like avocado roll or cucumber roll, there’s also paleo California roll and sashimi(raw fish). However, the taste of raw fish is not always a favorite for everyone. So you would want to have a taste of tuna roll before taking this huge jump to sashimi.
Food Journal
Besides avoiding foods that are likely of soy, another thing you can do to minimize the risk of soy is keep a journal.
Which is done through eating a small bite size of the sushi roll to test if the food is soy free. Then in the food journal you can record any signs of symptoms within the next hour or day.
Even though this takes a lot of time, it can be super helpful for avoiding foods in the future knowing that you’re intolerant to it.
Furthermore, the testing will help you recognize similar foods. So the testing will eventually shorten and be less frequent.
