Soy. — This is a kind of sauce prepared in
China and Japan from a small bean, the pro-
duce of Bolichos soja. It is used with fish and
other articles of diet. In choosing soy, see
that it is of a good flavour, not too salt nor too
sweet, of a good thick consistence, a brown
colour, and clear. When shaken in a glass, it
should leave a coat on the surface of a bright
yeUowish-brown colour; if it do not, it is an
inferior sort, and should be rejected. Chinese
soy is considered inferior to that of Japan.
Soy, Chinese Preparation of.— Equal
quantities of beans and wheat are boiled to-
gether, and then triturated between stones,
water being added occasionally. The mass is
cooked in a pan, and cut into thin slices, which
are kept covered with straw for about twenty
days. When completely fermented, the separate
slices having become mouldy, they are washed
with water, placed in a vessel j and their weight of
water and salt added. In this condition they
are kept for a number of days, and are finally
again triturated between stones.
Soy, Chinese (another way) . — Thirty-five
pounds of the shelled pulse are washed in cold
water, and boiled in water enough to cover them
until they are sufiiciently tender, which is ascer-
tained by squeezing them between the finger
and thumb. This requires only a few minutes
to effect. They are then di-ained in a sieve, but,
whilst still wet, are mixed Avith a portion of
meal made of the same puLse, ground, and whick
an Anglo-Indian, if he were here to see it,
would immediately pronounce to be " ground
gram." In this meal they are stirred until the
surface of each bean is covered. The mass is
now laid upon mats to the thickness of about
two inches, and the beans are left to dry until the
surface of the mass begins to appear mouldy.
They are then dried by gradual heat in slow
stoves, until they can bear the stroke of a
mallet, when they are rubbed with the hand or
with a hard brush to free them from the meal.
Earthen pans, ready prepared, now receive them
in equal portions, and a pickle is made with
twenty pounds of salt dissolved in five times its
weight of water, which is equally divided among
the pans. These are now carefuUy covered,
and kept, during six weeks or more, in a place
where the temperature is nearly 100" Fahren-
heit. When at length the soluble part of the
beans — the part that constitutes the soy — is
extracted, this being ascertained by the dark
brown colour of the liquid in the pans, the
liquid is poured oif, and boiled down to the
proper consistence. This, however, is not
eft'ected until after repeated boilings, during
which a quantity of moist sugar, ginger, mace,
and black pepper are added in quantities
according to the taste of the manufacturers,
each having his own peculiar ideas of flavour-
ing, which constitutes the diftercnce between
the several manufactories. After the last boil-
ing, the soy is allowed to stand a few days,
then strained, and put into flasks for sale.
Page 1867
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Soy. — This is a kind of sauce prepared in China and Japan from a small bean, the produce of Bolichos soja. It is used with fish and other articles of diet. In choosing soy, see that it is of a good flavour, not too salt nor too sweet, of a good thick consistence, a brown colour, and clear. When shaken in a glass, it should leave a coat on the surface of a bright yellowish-brown colour; if it do not, it is an inferior sort, and should be rejected. Chinese soy is considered inferior to that of Japan.
Soy, Chinese Preparation of.— Equal quantities of beans and wheat are boiled together, and then triturated between stones, water being added occasionally. The mass is cooked in a pan, and cut into thin slices, which are kept covered with straw for about twenty days. When completely fermented, the separate slices having become mouldy, they are washed with water, placed in a vessel j and their weight of
water and salt added. In this condition they are kept for a number of days, and are finally again triturated between stones.
Soy, Chinese (another way) . — Thirty-five pounds of the shelled pulse are washed in cold water, and boiled in water enough to cover them until they are sufiiciently tender, which is ascertained by squeezing them between the finger and thumb. This requires only a few minutes to effect. They are then drained in a sieve, but, whilst still wet, are mixed with a portion of meal made of the same pulse, ground, and whick an Anglo-Indian, if he were here to see it, would immediately pronounce to be " ground gram." In this meal they are stirred until the surface of each bean is covered. The mass is now laid upon mats to the thickness of about two inches, and the beans are left to dry until the surface of the mass begins to appear mouldy. They are then dried by gradual heat in slow stoves, until they can bear the stroke of a mallet, when they are rubbed with the hand or with a hard brush to free them from the meal. Earthen pans, ready prepared, now receive them in equal portions, and a pickle is made with twenty pounds of salt dissolved in five times its weight of water, which is equally divided among the pans. These are now carefuUy covered, and kept, during six weeks or more, in a place where the temperature is nearly 100" Fahrenheit. When at length the soluble part of the beans — the part that constitutes the soy — is extracted, this being ascertained by the dark brown colour of the liquid in the pans, the liquid is poured oif, and boiled down to the proper consistence. This, however, is not effected until after repeated boilings, during which a quantity of moist sugar, ginger, mace, and black pepper are added in quantities according to the taste of the manufacturers, each having his own peculiar ideas of flavouring, which constitutes the difference between the several manufactories. After the last boiling, the soy is allowed to stand a few days, then strained, and put into flasks for sale.