Soy Sauce Substitute?
Thursday October 16, 2003
Chris writes: I'm allergic to soy, wheat and corn and I miss Chinese food! Obviously I can't eat at Chinese restaurants anymore, so I need to make it myself. I've found good replacements for wheat and corn, but I'm hoping you can give me some hints about what to try as a replacement for soy sauce, since I don't even know where to start. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Suggestions?
One Reader's Suggestion - Jonathan writes that he likes this gluten free soy sauce substitute better than the real thing!
One Reader's Suggestion - Jonathan writes that he likes this gluten free soy sauce substitute better than the real thing!
Update: Here is my recipe for a low-sodium soy sauce substitute, made with molasses, balsamic, and red wine vinegar.
Comments
Your recipe calls for low sodium beef broth. Canned beef broth contains Soy lethicin and the reader that asked for a soy sauce substitute is allergic to soy.
Thank you! I, too, have wheat and soy allergies, yet adore Chinese and Japanese food. This recipe will be really helpful, especially since I’m only a mediocre cook. Although, as Jane noted, canned beef broth does contain soy lecithin, there are some that don’t in the health food aisle.
While I am not allergic to soy, I know someone who is, and she has told me that soy lethicin often doesn’t cause allergic reactions… That’s not to say that there aren’t those who will react, but unless the reader specifies, this is a good recipe for a number of allergy sufferers.
And of course, as Amanda said, there are lethicin-free broths available.
Soy lecithin is actually a dairy product. Look it up. My sis is allergic to dairy, that’s why I know that.
Lecithin is a phospholipid that the food industry uses as an emulsifier. It can be found in soy bean oil and egg yolks, (actually just about every living cell has some), but most commercial sources are derived from soy. Soy lecithin is NOT a dairy product. It is found in many dairy products because its properties make it a great dairy enhancer. Most people who are sensitive to soy are reacting to soy proteins and so don’t have to worry about lecithin on an ingredient list. This is because lecithin is extracted from soy oil and does not contain the soy proteins. Only severely allergic people will react to it. My child’s allergist has confirmed this. Anyway since she loves soy sauce, I was thrilled to find a subsitute. Thanks!
I’ve spoken with food and oil manufacturers about soy lecithin and soy allergies. Soy lecithin is extracted from soy meal with water or steam, and is usually used as a crude product which does contain some soy protein. The FDA has noted the allergenic potential of soy lecithin, and requires it to be explicitly labeled (see http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/soyguid.html). Refined/degummed oils are highly processed and should have very low antigenicity, although there are several studies in the scientific literature that show allergenicity of refined oils in vitro and in people.
If you’re allergic to soy, then soy lecithin is not your friend.