cross-posted from: https://linux.community/post/515275
I like making soups and porridges. I usually add salt and pepper at the beginning to add flavor. Recently, a friend gave me a bottle of soy sauce and Im experimenting with it.
What would it make more sense? to add the soy sauce with the other ingredients before the mix boils, while boiling or only to add it before serving?
Another question is: should I use salt if I use soy sauce? Apparently, this sauce has a lot of sodium.
You always need to salt each element individually to get the correct salt level. When you are cooking most vegetables you add the salt on top when you first add it to the pan. Same with meats but those usually get some salt earlier or as part of the marinating process.
While soy sauce is a source of salt it is more importantly a source of glutamate which is a flavor enhancer. Other items such as anchovies, mushrooms, miso, kelp, etc. contain glutamate naturally which was refined into MSG. MSG is just the crystalized form of naturally glutamate from kelp. I use soy sauce usually when things are simmering or as a finishing touch. I usually add it right at the end after adding my finishing touches of an acid. If your food tastes flat it usually missing an acid first before adding more soy sauce since you should add only a few tablespoons or so to most dishes.