Reddit reviews Healthy Boy Thai Sweet Soy Sauce (White Label), 14 Ounces, Product of Thailand (Pack of 1)

I do! I was born into a family that owned a Thai restaurant, which I took over from age 18 to 27, and I’ve also a total whore for Asian cuisine so I can definitely help with soy sauce suggestions!

So here’s a great tip: you should have at least two different kinds of soy sauce including a light soy sauce and a dark one, with perhaps two or three additional kinds of specialty soy-based seasoning sauces. While that sounds like a lot, generally soy sauce is an inexpensive ingredient, even for more high-quality brands, and a bottle will last you for ages. I’ll give you a few recommendations for each category. As a side note these are Amazon links, but if you have access to an Asian grocery store then I absolutely suggest buying them there instead as you would save at least 50% off the prices.

Light Soy Sauce: this is your workaday soy sauce, the kind you would add savory saltiness to stir-fries or dip your sushi in.

Pearl River Bridge Golden Label Superior Light Soy Sauce - is a great standby favorite of Asian chefs the world over, especially in the seafood palaces of Hong Kong. It’s less jarringly salty than say a Kikkoman, with more complexity. Pearl River Bridge is a really well-respected brand of Asian condiments, generally all of their products will be either good to excellent. Note that they produce two different varieties of light soy sauce, the “Superior” and the “Golden Label” - always go for the Golden Label, it’s just better in every way than the “Superior”.

The second light soy sauce I’d recommend is San-J Tamari - which is made wholly of soybeans without any wheat. While this is good news for anyone with gluten sensitivity issues, the flavor has a more pronounced umami because of it.

Dark Soy Sauce: think of dark soy sauce as a soy balsamic vinegar - it’s a highly-concentrated, almost syrupy sauce that also has a bit of sugar for a hint of sweetness. It is ideal for marinades, salad dressings, glazes, I’ve even used it in desserts!

[Pearl River Bridge Mushroom Flavored Superior Dark Soy Sauce](16.9 oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6A03MU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ImLPDbGVGZ3K0) - is an umami bomb to your tastebuds, rich with portobello mushroom notes and a perfect accompaniment to red meat dishes like wok-seared ribeye with gai lan aka Chinese broccoli.

Healthy Boy Thai Sweet Soy Sauce White Label - as thick as molasses, this sweet soy is essential in traditional Thai noodle dishes like ผัดซีอิ้ว (pad see iew) and is also good when you want to add a little savoriness to sweet recipes. I once made sweet soy brownies with a healthy dollop of this and they were utterly fantastic.

Miscellaneous Soy Sauces: these are usually different varieties of flavored soy sauces from around Asia.

SHIMOUSA PONZU - ponzu is a mixture of soy sauce and yuzu, which is the juice of a Japanese citrus fruit. This bright sauce adds a lemony kick to salad dressings and jazzes up seafood. Try it as a marinade for salmon crudo or as a dipping sauce for your favorite sashimi.

Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce - oh my god do I love this stuff, it tastes like my childhood as my Dad would always cook my favorite meal (pineapple fried rice with shrimp, chicken, veggies and cashews) with this sauce. It’s a soy sauce with a very distinctive tangy kick, and I use it in everything from fried rices, eggs, soups, noodles, stir-frys, you name it. Everyone I have sample this wonderful sauce ends up being addicted!

I skipped over a lot of stuff, like the recent rise in artisanal soy sauces, many of which are even aged in barrels! But I think that this is a good start for someone who wants to explore beyond the disposable packets they get from the takeaway place. Let me know if you have any more questions! (Or if you want a recommendation for fish sauces, because I could literally write monographs on the subject!)