The Professional Chef Rediscovers Soy Sauce

These days, big flavor is big news. From Asian to Latin to Mediterranean cuisine, Americans crave intense, authentic flavors. And chefs are looking for new ways—and rediscovering old ways—to enhance flavors and bring depth to their dishes by adding umami, the "fifth taste."

Naturally brewed Kikkoman Soy Sauce—one of the most umami-enriched ingredients—is a pantry staple and a fixture on Asian tables, and a condiment most of us know as well as salt and pepper. In fact, it's so familiar today that it hardly seems foreign.

But how much do you really know about this ancient Asian sauce?

• Do you understand how soy sauce works to enhance flavor and add umami?
• Do you know that soy sauce can boost flavor in dishes without imparting a distinct Asian flavor?
• Do you realize that soy sauce can add depth and richness to non-Asian dishes?
• Do you know how it's made, and how to distinguish between naturally brewed and non-brewed soy sauce?

On this site, you'll learn why many non-Asian chefs consider soy sauce a must-have umami ingredient and can't imagine running a kitchen without it. You'll also delve into soy sauce and its connection to umami. And you'll learn that Kikkoman Soy Sauce is made right here in the United States, using an authentically Japanese, centuries-old natural brewing process.

Understanding the capabilities of soy sauce will help your cooking reach its full flavor potential. So take some time to expand your knowledge with the following professional course. You'll explore the history, science and magic of one of the world's most versatile umami ingredients, and you'll come away with contemporary ideas that will enhance flavor on your menu. A short quiz at the end allows you to evaluate how much you've learned.