Dark soy sauce
Thick Chinese soy sauce used for color and flavour
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Chinese cuisine, dark soy sauce (Chinese: 老抽; pinyin: lǎo chōu) is a dark-coloured soy sauce used mainly for adding colour and flavour to dishes. It is richer, slightly thicker, and less salty than other types of soy sauce.[1][2][3] As the Chinese name lǎo chōu (lit. 'old extract') suggests, it is also aged longer.[2] It is often sweetened by adding molasses or other sweetening agents.[1][2] Dark soy sauce is often used in stews, stir-fries, and sauces.[2] It is used in dishes requiring colours, such as red-cooked dishes.[4]
Name
| Chinese names | |
|---|---|
| Mandarin | |
| Chinese | 老抽 |
| Literal meaning | old extract |
| Hanyu Pinyin | lǎo chōu |
| Bopomofo | ㄌㄠˇㄔㄡ |
| Wade–Giles | lao3 ch'ou1 |
| Yale Romanization | lǎu chōu |
| IPA | [làʊ.ʈʂʰóʊ] |
| Cantonese | |
| Traditional Chinese | 老抽 |
| Yale Romanization | lóuh chāu |
| Jyutping | lou5 cau1 |
| IPA | [lɔw˩˧.tsʰɐw˥] |
The Chinese word lǎo chōu (Chinese: 老抽), meaning "old extract", is shortened from the word lǎo tóu chōu (simplified Chinese: 老头抽; traditional Chinese: 老頭抽), meaning "old man extract".[5] It contrasts with shēng chōu (Chinese: 生抽) or "raw extract", usually referred to as "light soy sauce" in English sources.[5]
