Pull up a chair, friends, I think it’s time we had a chat. Have you ever wondered why pantry staples like Spanish olive oil and imported tomatoes grown in Italy are seen as elite culinary status symbols, but Asian staples rarely get the same reverence? Sure, in recent years, things like fish sauce, chili crisp, miso, and gochujang have all become more widely recognized as staples in the kitchen—but more often than not, we blindly buy these items without even thinking about where they come from or how they’re actually made.
Take soy sauce, for example. That salty, dark condiment we all love to dip our sushi into is a lot more complex than we often give it credit for. It’s packed with rich, savory umami and can be used on its own or find its way into everything from braised short ribs and chicken noodle soup to even being a topper for ice cream. But what is soy sauce exactly, and is it actually possible to make it better?
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What is Soy Sauce Anyway?
Let’s answer the first question before we move on to the second, shall we? Soy sauce, in its most basic form, is a dark, salty condiment made of fermented soy beans, wheat, and salt. The length of fermentation time, quantities of wheat, and salt can vary by region, and this can impact the overall flavor and texture of the finished product. Typically, soy sauce comes in light and dark varieties as well as gluten-free variations like Tamari. Light soy sauce tends to be thinner and saltier than dark soy sauce, which is often a bit sweeter and used primarily for its inky black color.
Tamari, on the other hand, isn’t technically classified as soy sauce due to its lack of wheat, thicker texture, and less salty flavor. Of course, if we’re being honest, we’ve never given a ton of thought to what soy sauce we use outside of opting for a lower-sodium option if we have the choice. As long as it tastes like, well, salt, we’ve always just assumed it was good. That brings us to our next point, though. Can soy sauce be made better? Enter: HEYDOH. This scrappy new brand is aiming to change our perception of soy sauce for good, and by the looks of things, they’re already well on their way to success.
What Makes HEYDOH Different?
HEYDOH in Mandarin Chinese means black soybean and serves as the throughline for this exciting new brand’s foundation. While most commercial soy sauces are made with yellow soybean grits—a byproduct of the vegetable oil industry—HEYDOH uses whole single-origin black soybeans sourced from small farms in Taiwan. The resulting condiment is layered and bursting with complexity, with a flavor that will knock your socks off. In addition to being made with whole soybeans you can source—each bottle includes a label that tells you exactly where the beans come from—HEYDOH’s soy sauce is non-GMO, preservative-free, lower in sodium than other brands, and gluten-friendly.
Related: Fly By Jing’s ‘Dream’ Collab Gives This Popular Condiment a Spicy Update: ‘Immediately Purchased’
Technically, their soy sauce meets the standards to be considered gluten-free by FDA standards, but because wheat is one of the raw ingredients, they chose not to label it as such. We love an ethical brand that cares about its customers. For their initial launch, the brand is selling both their Classic Soy Sauce, which is your flavor-forward culinary workhorse, and Silky, a finishing sauce perfect for dipping and drizzling. Both sauces are available for preorder, with orders expected to start shipping mid to late September.
While it is a bit pricier than more mass-produced commercial brands, HEYDOH’s focus on paying its farmers an equitable wage and producing a quality product denotes the higher price point. And let’s be honest, if you can pay $50 for a bottle of olive oil, you can pay $18.99 for high-quality soy sauce.
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What Are Fans Saying?
The brand officially announced the launch just under a week ago, and congratulations immediately came pouring in from fans. “This is soo cool! Congrats 😍,” said one excited fan. “Soooo excited to try this!” commented someone else. In addition to all the praise, several fans said they “can’t wait to try it,” and we don’t blame them. Without being too presumptuous, this brand has all the potential to redefine the category, much like Graza has done with olive oil.
And while they aren’t available in retail stores yet, we can already see these gorgeous bottles being right at home on grocery store shelves. We’ll be keeping an eye on this up-and-coming brand, but if this initial launch tells us anything, they’ll be taking over soon enough.
Related: This Cult-Favorite Olive Oil Brand Just Made an ‘EPIC’ Change and Fans Are Losing Their Minds: ‘Amazing News’
