tcha
07/11/11, 10:02 PM
"Light soy sauce is amber in color, is cleaer and thinner...but it is also saltier.... Dark soy sauce has a deeper color and more body. It is less salty and used in relatively greater quantities."
He goes on to explain that "If you do your shopping at a Japanese store, you will have no problem obtaining both types. All Kikkoman light soy sauce is imported from Japan. It is generally used in smaller quantities than the dark type...." The primary purpose of the light sauce, he says, is esthetic. He also says that the ONLY kind of shoyu Kikkoman makes in the USA is dark. Finally, and most significantly, he asks the question many of us would pose: "If you can obtain only dark soy sauce, how should you proceed if a recipe calls for light soy sauce? Sacrifice aesthetics and use only the dark. If a recipe calls for a combination of light and dark, and you have only the dark on hand, total the amounts and use that quantity of dark soy sauce."
chowhound.com
He goes on to explain that "If you do your shopping at a Japanese store, you will have no problem obtaining both types. All Kikkoman light soy sauce is imported from Japan. It is generally used in smaller quantities than the dark type...." The primary purpose of the light sauce, he says, is esthetic. He also says that the ONLY kind of shoyu Kikkoman makes in the USA is dark. Finally, and most significantly, he asks the question many of us would pose: "If you can obtain only dark soy sauce, how should you proceed if a recipe calls for light soy sauce? Sacrifice aesthetics and use only the dark. If a recipe calls for a combination of light and dark, and you have only the dark on hand, total the amounts and use that quantity of dark soy sauce."
chowhound.com