important things you should know about nama shoyu
Important Things You Should Know About Nama Shoyu
Attention, all vegetarians, vegans, and fans of raw food - we have healthy Nama Shoyu fast replacing regular Shoyu. This Buzzle article tells you all that you need to know about Nama Shoyu.
Did You Know?
In Japanese, Nama means raw, or unpasteurized, while Shoyu means soy sauce. Thus, Nama Shoyu is unpasteurized, raw soy sauce.What is Nama Shoyu?
Nama Shoyu is basically raw, unpasteurized soy sauce. It looks almost exactly like regular soy sauce, with a dark brown color that could almost pass off as black. The taste is a little different than soy sauce, though. Nama Shoyu has more flavor than regular Shoyu, with a hint of sour and sweet in it. Nama Shoyu contains living enzymes, making it a favorite among those eating raw food.
How is Nama Shoyu Made?
Nama Shoyu is made from organic soybeans, wheat, water, and sea-salt. The mixture is then fermented in wooden barrels, which are generally made from cedar-wood, and is allowed to "age" for 2-4 years. The resultant sauce contains less salt than regular soy sauce, has no artificial aftertaste, and harbors living enzymes, thus making whole food and raw food fans appreciate it more.
Uses of Nama Shoyu
Now that you know what Nama Shoyu is, let us turn to how and where you can use it. Since it is just like soy sauce, you can use Nama Shoyu in a variety of food items. However, if this is your first time, be sure to use it in small, measured quantities, and add more if the taste works out for you. As it tastes a little different, you may need a smaller quantity of Nama Shoyu as compared to regular soy sauce.
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A dipping sauce
You can use Nama Shoyu simply as a dipping sauce while eating raw food. Many enthusiasts add other ingredients to Nama Shoyu to make a unique and special dipping sauce for bread, rolls, vegetables, and the like.
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An addition to soups
Many people love adding the sweet-sour taste of soy sauce to their soup. Add a little Nama Shoyu to your bowl of soup, and enjoy the rich flavor.
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Salad dressings
This is one of the most common uses of Nama Shoyu. You can use it as a salad dressing instead of vinaigrette, mayonnaise, etc.
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Sauce for stir-fried food
Nama Shoyu makes a delightful sauce for stir-fried foods. Use it to give your dish a tangy, sweet-sour taste.
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Marinade
Nama Shoyu can be used to marinate vegetables, tofu, and anything else you want.
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Side Dish
Nama Shoyu makes a great side dish for rice. You can add a little sauce to your rice to give it a nice flavor.
Buying Nama Shoyu
Nama Shoyu, being an Asian condiment, will be available in major grocery stores or in Asian markets. If you would rather buy it online, you can find a variety of websites offering you that, too.
Health Benefits of Nama Shoyu
Some Other Facts About Nama Shoyu
- Because it is made the traditional way, Nama Shoyu is a little more expensive than regular Shoyu.
- Nama Shoyu is acceptable in a raw food diet. However, serious raw-food diet followers avoid using Nama Shoyu as it isn't "technically" raw. It is heated at certain temperatures, but still contains living enzymes in it, which makes it acceptable for most raw-food diets.
- Nama Shoyu is not gluten-free, as wheat is one of the ingredients used to make Nama Shoyu.
- Even though it has numerous health benefits, Nama Shoyu still contains soy, and high consumption of the same could result in adverse effects on the health.
- Nama Shoyu should be avoided by those with allergies to yeast or molds, as it is fermented with a specific kind of yeast.
- Nama Shoyu is also acceptable in a vegan diet.