Category: Ingredients

Soy Sauce: Ingredient of the Month

Soy sauce is an amazing and versatile liquid – it’s salty, tart, sweet, tangy and aromatic. It is made from a mix of fermented black soy beans and wheat. The flavour of Soy Sauce largely depends on the proportions of soybean and wheat. There are many different types from around the Asian world. Here are a few variations.

  • light soy – has more wheat, is light in taste and flavour.
  • Indonesian soy sauce, known as kecap, sweetened with palm sugar.
  • Japanese soy sauce, known as shoyu, includes wheat as a primary ingredient, which tends to give them a slightly sweeter taste than the Chinese sauces
  • Chinese soy sauce – made primarily from soybeans. In Chinese cooking this dark soy gives meat and poultry a deep red glazed exterior.

Pearl Barley: Ingredient of the Month

pearl-barleyPearl Barley is a cooking ingredient that is used rarely today, and possibly should be used more often. It is an excellent source of dietary fiber and carbohydrates. It contains little or no fat and is a healthy addition to any diet

Pearl Barley is usually purchased in a dried form. Traditionally you prepare it by soaking for approximately 6-8 hours (overnight if convienient) before cooking. After soaking,  replace with fresh water, bring to boil and simmer until tender, which usually takes 20-30 minutes.

A quicker method of cooking is to put the required amount into a saucepan and cover with water (approximately 3 cups of water for every cup of pearl barley). Bring the water to the boil and simmer for approximately 35 minutes until tender.