Light soy sauce

The pale, brewed soy: salty and savoury, and it does not darken a dish. It is what goes over a steamed fish or a steamed chicken at the end, as distinct from dark soy (老抽), which is thicker and used for colour.

TCM properties

Nature · cooling　Flavour · salty　Meridians · spleen、stomach、kidney

Traditional food therapy

Not a tonic in food therapy but a seasoning; the dishes cooked after a birth use it with a light hand.

Cautions: read first

• High in sodium; watch it if your blood pressure is up or you are cutting salt.
• Contains wheat and soy, both mandatory-declaration allergens in Australia.

Preparation

Added just before the wok comes off, or poured over at the table.

Origin

Guangdong and Hong Kong, with Foshan and Zhongshan the old brewing districts. In Australian supermarkets and Asian grocers alike, with far more choice at the grocer

Availability in Australia

Common at Asian grocers

Pairs well with