Artwork for podcast Cooking with Bruce and Mark
WELCOME TO OUR KITCHEN: We're talking about soy sauce!
Episode 7912th May 2025 • Cooking with Bruce and Mark • Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough
00:00:00 00:24:10

Share Episode

Shownotes

Soy sauce. So many of us in North America grew up thinking it was one thing when in fact it's a big category of things. Yes, mostly related. But the array of soy sauces offers a big difference in flavors and even textures.

Join us, Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, veteran cookbook authors who have written three dozen cookbooks. This podcast is all about our passion: food and cooking. Thanks for joining us.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[01:07] Our one-minute cooking tip: Store opened soy sauce in the fridge.

[03:25] Japanese, Chinese, and Korean soy sauces: what types are there, what are their differences, and why should you have more than one in your pantry?

[21:13] What’s making us happy in food this week: pho and the Ithaca NY farmers' market.

Transcripts

Bruce:

Hey, I'm Bruce Weinstein and this is the Podcast

2

:

Cooking with Bruce and Mark.

3

:

And I'm Mark Scrubber, and together

with Bruce, we have published 36

4

:

cookbooks are about to publish

our 37th cold canning this summer.

5

:

We've talked about that

already on this podcast.

6

:

Our obsession with.

7

:

Food and cooking, which is this podcast,

I guess we have other obsessions.

8

:

Mm-hmm.

9

:

Bruce has a knitting obsession,

including online knitting

10

:

workshops and knitting books.

11

:

He's published and Mark

12

:

is obsessed with Dante and

other poets and writers.

13

:

Mark: I am.

14

:

I have.

15

:

Podcasts all about Dante and the

divine comedy, but that's not this.

16

:

This is all about food and cooking.

17

:

So as usual, we got a

one minute cooking tip.

18

:

It's about soy sauce.

19

:

And then we're gonna have a big

segment, our central segment

20

:

about the various kinds of soy

sauce traditionally that are out.

21

:

But you didn't

22

:

Bruce: know there were that

23

:

Mark: many.

24

:

No.

25

:

As a kid that grew up in suburban Dallas,

I thought soy sauce came in a plastic

26

:

package that you ripped open at the table.

27

:

So what do I know?

28

:

Nothing.

29

:

And then we'll tell you what's

making us happy in food this week.

30

:

So let's get started.

31

:

Bruce: Our one minute cooking tip,

store your soy sauce like you do

32

:

olive oil, because what destroys

it is the same heat and light.

33

:

Keep it in a dark cool place and

once opened, unless you'll use it all

34

:

within a month, keep it in the fridge.

35

:

Okay, so that's

36

:

Mark: not like olive oil.

37

:

I don't mean to correct

you, but That's right.

38

:

You don't put olive oil in the fridge.

39

:

Well,

40

:

Bruce: sometimes you might want

to, if you're not gonna use it all

41

:

right away, it could get gross.

42

:

Oh, come on.

43

:

You don't put olive oil in the fridge.

44

:

I, no, but you wanna keep it away

from heat and light, that's for sure.

45

:

And most people don't realize you should

put it in the fridge, the soy sauce,

46

:

if you're not gonna use it in a month.

47

:

Mark: See, I, I think that that was

a great example of us because, uh,

48

:

the chef paints with a broad stroke

and the writer gets very obsessed

49

:

with the tiny little details.

50

:

Bruce: But most people don't know that you

should keep the soy sauce in the fridge.

51

:

Right.

52

:

If you're not gonna use it in a month.

53

:

Right.

54

:

Mark: That is true.

55

:

And uh, I think, I've also

heard told from Asian chefs

56

:

that cold soy sauce is no good.

57

:

Mm-hmm.

58

:

That it, well, I don't

wanna say it's no good.

59

:

It needs to come back to room

temperature to have its full set

60

:

Bruce: of flavors.

61

:

That's true.

62

:

And I actually do take it out

of the fridge, uh, before we.

63

:

Eat with it.

64

:

If I'm cooking with it, it's fine

outta the fridge, but if you're

65

:

using it as a dip or a condiment

or putting it on raw fish, right?

66

:

Yes, it should come out out of the

fridge and it should be at room temp,

67

:

Mark: right?

68

:

So anyway, store it in the

fridge for the best access.

69

:

But before we get to the next

segment of the podcast, which

70

:

is gonna be all about soy sauce.

71

:

Lemme say that we have a TikTok

channel and an Instagram reels

72

:

channel and a Facebook group all

called Cooking with Bruce and Mark.

73

:

Probably the biggest of those at this

point is the TikTok channel, so, oh, yeah.

74

:

If you're on TikTok, join us

at cooking with Bruce and Mark.

75

:

We've got all kinds of cooking videos.

76

:

We're making lots of jams and things

to do with jams, but these, uh, videos

77

:

appear on Instagram and Facebook.

78

:

Two under the groups

cooking with Bruce and Mark.

79

:

Aren't we clever?

80

:

We named it all the same thing.

81

:

I know.

82

:

Crazy.

83

:

So up next, our discussion of soy

sauce, we're gonna have a focus

84

:

on, let's say, three different

kind of national types of soy sauce

85

:

and the variations inside of them.

86

:

We're gonna talk about what

soy sauce is, the whole McGill.

87

:

So here we go.

88

:

Bruce: There are many different

kinds of soy sauces and

89

:

most people don't know that.

90

:

Right?

91

:

You'd think No soy sauce is soy sauce.

92

:

Soy sauce.

93

:

Like I say,

94

:

Mark: no.

95

:

When I was a kid and you went

to the Chinese restaurant, it

96

:

came in a little plastic packet.

97

:

You tore them open.

98

:

Exactly.

99

:

Bruce: That's all I knew.

100

:

Yeah.

101

:

But basically all soy

sauce start as soybeans.

102

:

They're sometimes mixed

with roasted wheat.

103

:

They've got mold or.

104

:

Bacteria mixed into them

and then they're fermented.

105

:

And the fermentation process can take

anywhere from three months to 10 years,

106

:

which is why some soy sauces 10 years.

107

:

Yeah.

108

:

That's why some soy sauces can cost

like, you know, a hundred dollars

109

:

an ounce and others are 10 years,

you know, 99 cents for a quart.

110

:

Right.

111

:

So we're gonna talk about

Japanese soy sauces.

112

:

We're gonna talk about Chinese

soy sauces, and we're gonna

113

:

talk about Korean soy sauces.

114

:

Mark: And I just wanna say when

we get started here, before we get

115

:

started, we've got these three.

116

:

Basic types of soy sauces that we're

gonna talk about, but there are others.

117

:

There are Taiwanese soy sauces,

there are other soy sauces.

118

:

Besides these, we've just chosen

to focus on these as three big kind

119

:

of culinary national categories of

soy sauce, so Japanese soy sauce.

120

:

I think most of us

probably know, it, even if.

121

:

Like me, we grew up going to

suburban Dallas, Chinese restaurants.

122

:

Mm-hmm.

123

:

It's the Japanese soy

sauce that is at the table.

124

:

Bruce: Yeah.

125

:

Koman is like the brand

that is usually right.

126

:

And it's funny, that is a Japanese

brand, but that was the one that

127

:

was always even on the Chinese

restaurant tables, it was Kiko always.

128

:

And the one that you get there

in the restaurants, that's their.

129

:

Dark soy sauce and Japanese dark soy sauce

is the traditional soy sauce that you

130

:

think of using when you dip sushi into it.

131

:

When you think of those old

Chinese restaurants, I have to

132

:

Mark: say that I, this is the thing that

I still go back to, despite all of the

133

:

variations of soy sauce that we talk

about, if I'm going to put soy sauce in

134

:

anything, this is the soy sauce I use, and

Bruce uses all kinds of fancy soy sauce.

135

:

Mm-hmm.

136

:

I love fancy and I don't.

137

:

Because I think it's a childhood thing.

138

:

It's like when you grew up with

something and you loved it as a kid.

139

:

Uh, Bruce claims that when I put

soy sauce and now I'm gonna offend

140

:

every Asian that could possibly exist

in the whole history of the world.

141

:

When I put soy sauce

on rice, don't kill me.

142

:

When I put it on rice, Bruce

claims I actually make soup.

143

:

Bruce: Oh, he does?

144

:

He just has, it's like

breakfast cereal and milk.

145

:

It's rice and soy sauce for him and.

146

:

At least if you're doing that, go to

the Japanese light soy sauce, which

147

:

most people don't even know about.

148

:

It's no, I'm

149

:

Mark: gonna stick with Koman.

150

:

But now you can talk

151

:

Bruce: about Japanese light soy

sauce, and Well, here's the thing,

152

:

the koman, they're not usually labeled

dark, they're just labeled soy sauce.

153

:

So it's a category

distinction that's rarely.

154

:

Even labeled on mass market brands,

you have to go to artisanal,

155

:

at least in North America.

156

:

Yeah, you have to go to artisanal

brands here in the US if you

157

:

want to find this distinction.

158

:

And you'll see things called

Japanese light, soy sauce.

159

:

It's much thinner than the traditional.

160

:

Yeah, and don't take light as in calories.

161

:

This

162

:

Mark: doesn't have anything to do with.

163

:

Calories.

164

:

Well, I know, but it's a thing.

165

:

We run the view once and I was

making peanut butter and I used light

166

:

corn syrup and what was her name?

167

:

Starch Star Jones.

168

:

Yeah.

169

:

Remember Star Jones?

170

:

Star Jones was like, oh yeah,

we love to save those calories.

171

:

I was like, uh, light corn syrup

doesn't save you any calories,

172

:

Bruce: but okay, good Goode.

173

:

And quite honestly, in Japanese

light soy sauce, you're not

174

:

gonna save sodium either.

175

:

'cause that is a very salty flavor, but

it also has a slight sweetness and that's

176

:

'cause they often add things like mirin

or corn syrup you just talked about.

177

:

There you go.

178

:

Usually it's used as a soup seasoning.

179

:

I've seen it labeled as soup

soy sauce, which when we get

180

:

to the Korean soy sauces, they

have a whole category of that.

181

:

Mark: Okay.

182

:

Why would I go to an Asian

market and buy Japanese light soy

183

:

Bruce: sauce?

184

:

Let's say you wanted to use

it as a seasoning and a broth.

185

:

If you were making even Jewish chicken

soup and you wanted to throw some noodles

186

:

in it and some Asian greens in it,

and season it with a little soy sauce,

187

:

you get the light Japanese soy sauce.

188

:

Okay,

189

:

Mark: so talk about that for a minute

because I think a lot of people don't

190

:

know about using light soy sauce.

191

:

In this case, the Japanese light soy sauce

as a seasoning in stews rather than salt.

192

:

Bruce: Think about this,

that salt is an enhancer.

193

:

We've talked about that before.

194

:

But soy sauce is a seasoning.

195

:

It's a flavor.

196

:

It will add some salt, but it's

gonna add a lot of other characters.

197

:

Mark: So name me a dish that you

would add Japanese light soy sauce to

198

:

that you might not normally think of.

199

:

Adding soy sauce to.

200

:

Bruce: I can imagine putting

a little Japanese light soy

201

:

sauce in my hummus, right?

202

:

Wallet's going around

in the food processor.

203

:

Wow.

204

:

I want that.

205

:

That would give it a little saltiness.

206

:

It would give it some umami punch.

207

:

It's got a little sweetness.

208

:

It would really give it a

nice little punch there.

209

:

I can imagine.

210

:

Putting it into ground beef

before I make hamburgers.

211

:

Yeah.

212

:

Okay.

213

:

Right, because it's going to

give me all those other flavors.

214

:

It's not just the hit of soy

flavor that the dark soy sauce.

215

:

I'm backed with the hummus.

216

:

Um,

217

:

Mark: I think I want to try hummus with

some light Japanese soy sauce in it.

218

:

Bruce: Okay.

219

:

I think I'm gonna have to

make you some for lunch later.

220

:

Mark: Yeah, I know.

221

:

That sounds really good.

222

:

So there is a, a separate

category here that's a little

223

:

bit different and that is Tamari.

224

:

And you may know Tamari because you may

have gluten issues or know of family

225

:

members or friends with gluten issues.

226

:

And if you ever serving any kind of Asian

food, they may have told you to get tamari

227

:

or you may have gone and get mm-hmm.

228

:

Gotten tamari for them.

229

:

But Tamari is essentially soy sauce,

but it's made without the wheat.

230

:

Bruce: This is true.

231

:

It is.

232

:

It is a soy sauce where the soybeans

are cooked and then fermented, but

233

:

there's no wheat added, so it's

not as sweet as other soy sauces.

234

:

Mark: Let me just say, if you do have

celiac, you should make sure that

235

:

your tamari is certified gluten-free.

236

:

Mm-hmm.

237

:

Some tamari is made or

bottled in facilities where.

238

:

Other soy sauces are bottled

and there may be wheat residue.

239

:

you're really conscious of it, make sure

it is in fact gluten's free certified.

240

:

Bruce: And

241

:

there's a fourth category actually

of soy sauce out of Japan, and it's

242

:

almost impossible to find it in

the us and that's white soy sauce.

243

:

And it's not white.

244

:

It doesn't look like glue.

245

:

It doesn't look like milk,

and it's just very, very pale.

246

:

It can look like tea and it's

made from a high ratio of wheat to

247

:

Mark: soy.

248

:

So, wait, I just wanna stop

and say, so this is definitely

249

:

not after Tamari gluten-free.

250

:

No, this is not, this is, this

is a high wheat soy sauce.

251

:

Mm-hmm.

252

:

And, uh, again, as Bruce says, it's

almost impossible to find this.

253

:

I mean, you might.

254

:

Be able to go to a really high-end,

large Asian grocery store, or even

255

:

like H Mart and find this, but it's

very hard to find in North America.

256

:

Bruce: You might also be offered it if you

go to a very expensive sashimi restaurant

257

:

or a sushi restaurant because you know,

super high-end sushi chefs don't want

258

:

you destroying the flavor of the fish.

259

:

They carved with regular soy sauce.

260

:

So they might offer you this

white soy sauce, but we don't go

261

:

to those kind of restaurants, so.

262

:

I've never been offered it.

263

:

Mark: No, we do not go to those kind of

restaurants and, uh, I, I, I don't know.

264

:

I've never even tried this kind

of soy, so, so there we go.

265

:

There you go.

266

:

So that's an academic exercise for us.

267

:

Let's move on to that.

268

:

Chinese varieties.

269

:

Mm-hmm.

270

:

And this is a very broad

brush of Chinese varieties.

271

:

Mm-hmm.

272

:

Uh, I believe that many Chinese

chefs would knock us crazy for this

273

:

because there is not just light

and dark, but we're gonna divide.

274

:

We are the Chinese world into

light and dark soy sauce and

275

:

Bruce: light and dark

Chinese soy sauce are the.

276

:

Opposite of what Japanese light,

this is where it gets dark.

277

:

Soy

278

:

Mark: sauce are gets crazy.

279

:

Bruce: Yeah.

280

:

Light Chinese soy sauce

is the everyday soy sauce.

281

:

It's the thing you put for dipping sauces.

282

:

You could dip dumplings, but

it's also the cooking sauce.

283

:

It is the equivalent.

284

:

If Japanese dark is Chinese light and

it, it most resembles that, uh, so

285

:

Mark: give some brands of

light soy sauce, right.

286

:

Chinese?

287

:

Well,

288

:

Bruce: I love Pearl River Bridge.

289

:

That of course is my absolute favorite.

290

:

Okay.

291

:

Um, Chinese soy sauce maker

292

:

la Choy would be a

light Chinese soy sauce.

293

:

Mark: Okay.

294

:

And why would I have this at home?

295

:

Bruce: This would be your

go-to everyday soy sauce.

296

:

This is a soy sauce.

297

:

No, that's koman, but okay, go on.

298

:

That's for you.

299

:

That's Koman.

300

:

I like my Pearl River bridge.

301

:

And you like

302

:

Mark: your koman?

303

:

I do.

304

:

I can't help it.

305

:

I like my Kiko, so.

306

:

Okay.

307

:

That's the light stuff.

308

:

Mm-hmm.

309

:

I'm trying to, and then there is the.

310

:

Dark Chinese soy sauce and this

stuff is again, um, it is viscous.

311

:

Bruce: It is, it's thick, it's

syrupy almost, and it's the

312

:

addition of sugar or molasses.

313

:

It is actually not quite as

salty, even as the light one

314

:

and you think, oh, it's darker.

315

:

It's gonna have a bigger flavor.

316

:

It does have a bigger soy

flavor, but not saltier..

317

:

It's used almost exclusively in

cooking, and it's often used as

318

:

a coloring agent because a few

teaspoons of this will give a dish.

319

:

Dish.

320

:

Oh.

321

:

Like my mother's kitchen bouquet.

322

:

A kitchen bouquet.

323

:

Yep.

324

:

Your mother claims once she found that

she never browned a piece of meat again.

325

:

No.

326

:

I'd rather never browned a piece of meat.

327

:

She

328

:

Mark: gRED meat.

329

:

Bruce: Well, you don't need to

330

:

Mark: mark.

331

:

Bruce: We have kitchen

332

:

Mark: bouquet.

333

:

Yes, exactly.

334

:

Bruce: Caramel coloring.

335

:

Mark: Oh, um, okay.

336

:

So Chinese dark sausage

is not really a condiment.

337

:

It's a cooking ingredient.

338

:

It's an ingredient, absolutely.

339

:

And it darkens Chinese bras.

340

:

Mm-hmm.

341

:

Like red cooking bras.

342

:

Yep.

343

:

Et cetera.

344

:

And I have to say that when I've

tried these, 'cause of course Bruce

345

:

has many of these in our pantry,

I do not like the taste of dark.

346

:

So Chinese dark soy sauce on its own.

347

:

Mm-hmm.

348

:

It's too sweet.

349

:

Yeah.

350

:

But.

351

:

That said, I know it's in a great deal

of the Chinese bras that Bruce makes.

352

:

Bruce: Yeah.

353

:

I buy the big bottles of it.

354

:

I use it in everything.

355

:

It is a secret ingredient.

356

:

I have put it into French

beef stews sometimes.

357

:

Mm-hmm.

358

:

When I've wanted a slightly darker color.

359

:

Okay.

360

:

'cause you know, and rather than reach

for a kitchen bouquet, I mean it is.

361

:

Right.

362

:

Let's just call it

Chinese kitchen bouquet.

363

:

Right.

364

:

And there you go.

365

:

Mark: Isn't, don't, don't.

366

:

I know that Chinese dark, so

sauce is sometimes used in as a

367

:

few drops in compound butters.

368

:

Don't I know this?

369

:

Oh, what a great

370

:

Bruce: idea.

371

:

Yeah.

372

:

That it's

373

:

Mark: using compound butters

with like ginger, like mint

374

:

ginger to make a ginger butter.

375

:

Bruce: Oh, lovely.

376

:

Yes.

377

:

And it would give it a lovely color too.

378

:

That's a great thing.

379

:

Yeah.

380

:

Yeah.

381

:

Mark: I think that that it's, it's

a very esoteric product and yes, we

382

:

do a lot of Asian cooking while we.

383

:

Ba Bruce does a lot of Asian

cooking and, um, we have lots of

384

:

this stuff, but I would say this

is more esoteric of all of 'em.

385

:

So having then talked about Chinese

soy sauces, let's do a complete and,

386

:

uh, overly cursory look at Korean

soy sauces and Korean sauces or Kang.

387

:

They're very difficult to, for,

uh, north American to figure out.

388

:

Yeah.

389

:

Bruce: First of all, you're going to

have to go to an Asian grocery store.

390

:

They're not going to be in your

supermarket, and you're probably gonna

391

:

need to go to a Korean grocery store,

like an H Mart, as Mark said earlier.

392

:

Mark: And if you're looking for an

interesting take on soy sauce, Korean

393

:

soy sauces are a good place to start.

394

:

And there are essentially

three different varieties.

395

:

And there's a ong or a soy sauce that is.

396

:

Called sometimes a soup soy sauce.

397

:

Yeah, so why don't you talk about

398

:

Bruce: that.

399

:

Well, the soup soy sauce is very similar

to the Japanese light soy sauce in

400

:

that it's a little thinner, a little

lighter tasting, a little lighter

401

:

in color, except no wheat, right?

402

:

Right.

403

:

It's closer to the tamari in that it

is not made with wheat when, but you

404

:

have to check the bottles, please.

405

:

And then there's a different kind

of Jiang, which is made with wheat,

406

:

, closer to a standard Japanese.

407

:

Dark or a Chinese light soy sauce that's

gonna have your soybeans and your wheat.

408

:

So, the three bottles that I.

409

:

Always have on hand is going to be

a Japanese dark soy sauce, a Chinese

410

:

light soy sauce, and this Y Joe

Jiang, which is the regular non Y.

411

:

Mark: Okay, well,

412

:

Bruce: you speak Korean, but No,

I don't, I don't, I just know

413

:

Mark: about

414

:

Bruce: those long vowels in Korean Y.

415

:

But that's the, that's

the Korean soy sauce.

416

:

That is not the soup soy sauce,

the traditional soy sauce.

417

:

Yeah, and it, why

418

:

Mark: would I have that on hand?

419

:

Why would I have that in my pantry?

420

:

Bruce: You would have that because

you like to try new things because

421

:

it has a slightly different flavor

profile than the other soy sauces.

422

:

It's a slightly sweeter flavor.

423

:

Okay.

424

:

Than the Japanese dark.

425

:

Okay.

426

:

And also to me, it has an

herbally quality, even a.

427

:

Peppery quality that I like.

428

:

That goes really nice with the standard

Korean flavors of sesame and scallion.

429

:

So lot of black, so pepper.

430

:

Mark: I mean, why would

I have this around?

431

:

Why would have the Y zj around you

432

:

Bruce: If you want, make some stir

fried sweet potato noodles called if

433

:

you're going to make some bulgogi.

434

:

And again.

435

:

Don't write in and complain

about my Korean pronunciation.

436

:

If you're gonna make a beam bap, if

you're going to try your hand at Korean

437

:

barbecue, you definitely want to try

using an authentic Korean soy sauce

438

:

to, to really get the full experience.

439

:

Mark: And now, and now you're

really hearing the process

440

:

of writing cookbooks for us.

441

:

Okay, so now you've done all of that.

442

:

Now tell me, if I didn't

wanna make Korean food, why

443

:

Bruce: would I have that around?

444

:

You might wanna try drizzling it over

some scrambled eggs or an omelet.

445

:

Okay?

446

:

I think that's a lovely thing you Mark

can try making your rice soy sauce

447

:

soup out of that and see what you

think, especially if you use a nice

448

:

Korean rice or rice and grain blend.

449

:

What about

450

:

Mark: for barbecue marinades?

451

:

Bruce: A little bit of this soy sauce

in any existing barbecue marinade

452

:

you already make, whether it's,

an oil and vinegar base, whether

453

:

it's a, an American Southwest rub,

whether it's a Middle Eastern or

454

:

even a Mediterranean flavor profile.

455

:

A little bit of this.

456

:

Korean soy sauce will

give it a depth of flavor.

457

:

You won't forget.

458

:

Mark: And there's one other, uh,

Korean soy sauce you can find.

459

:

And it's chemically produced.

460

:

Yeah, it's j and it's, um, it's okay.

461

:

Mm-hmm.

462

:

It's, I would say it's not my favorite.

463

:

Bruce: No.

464

:

I would say avoid it if you can.

465

:

So look at the ingredients if it's

made with hydrolyzed soy proteins.

466

:

Um, okay.

467

:

So

468

:

Mark: I, what I just wanna say is that

what you just watched happen or listened

469

:

to happen is basically our process of

writing cookbooks, because Bruce gets.

470

:

All up in the culinary and theoretical

bits, and I, as the writer, keep

471

:

pushing it back to what does a person

do in their everyday kitchen with this?

472

:

And honestly, that whole thing as we

were recording, it felt like writing

473

:

a cookbook for us because it felt like

Bruce is up here in the stratosphere

474

:

somewhere in culinary technique and

chef language, and I keep saying, okay.

475

:

And, sorry, this is always my example.

476

:

What would your sister or my friend in

Dallas, Debbie, who I know is listening

477

:

to this podcast or my friends here in

Connecticut, what would they do with this?

478

:

And this is.

479

:

Always my question, while writing

cookbooks, it comes up a thousand times.

480

:

Why would your sister buy this?

481

:

And it it, it's part of the whole process

of how we actually craft a book out.

482

:

Bruce: It is, I wish you'd asked

me why my mother would buy it,

483

:

because that's much easier.

484

:

My mother loves to just explore new foods.

485

:

Well, no, she loves

going down the aisles of.

486

:

More than trying new things.

487

:

Mark: No, I'm not interested in

that because I wanna know more

488

:

about, you know, just a person

going to work and coming home.

489

:

Where are they gonna want

this in their pantry?

490

:

And why are they gonna wanna do this?

491

:

And of course, Bruce loves it because

it's interesting and theoretical and

492

:

it's an experiment and taste and all

this stuff, which is what chefs do.

493

:

Mm-hmm.

494

:

But as the writer, it is my.

495

:

Job to pull this thing back

toward the North American

496

:

marketplace and the UK marketplace.

497

:

So I'm constantly asking, what

does this do for the average

498

:

commuter driving home from work?

499

:

Bruce: Yeah.

500

:

Mark always asks me, why did you

pick that jar out of the pantry?

501

:

'cause if I have six different

kinds of vinegars, right?

502

:

Six different black.

503

:

Vinegars from all over Asia.

504

:

Why'd you

505

:

Mark: pick that one?

506

:

Right?

507

:

And that's the big question and

that's part of this whole soy sauce

508

:

discussion and you can hear it.

509

:

Bruce is very excited about all

these categories because of course

510

:

they represent various culinary

tropes and various culinary

511

:

categories, and they represent

various culinary experimentations

512

:

he can make and all this stuff.

513

:

And I just keep saying why.

514

:

Why, why, why, why, why?

515

:

'cause I want to.

516

:

No, you have to have a more

practical reason than that.

517

:

Mm-hmm.

518

:

If, if you're gonna actually sell

a cookbook or a recipe, well, okay.

519

:

So we've spent way too long talking

about soy sauce and how soy sauce,

520

:

oh, we should go on for another hour.

521

:

Trust me.

522

:

I'm sure we could, but we're not

going to 'cause this is also the

523

:

writer's job is to call a halt to an

ongoing giant discussion of exactly

524

:

how you pick the right kiwi fruit.

525

:

And instead, instead just cut it to

the chase so the writer is gonna cut

526

:

it to the chase and say, that's all

we're gonna say about soy sauces.

527

:

You should go to a place like an H

Mart or a large Asian grocery store.

528

:

You should look at all of the soy sauces.

529

:

We even go to this really tiny

Asian grocery store in New

530

:

Haven, Connecticut sometimes.

531

:

And um, it's just a small two aisle

grocery store with a refrigerator

532

:

case, and they have an astounding

array of soy sauces in there.

533

:

So if you pick any market, but.

534

:

May I say an H Mart, you will find a

million different kinds of sore sauces

535

:

and you can experiment yourself if

you're so interested, or at least up your

536

:

barbecue or scrambled egg at hummus game.

537

:

Okay.

538

:

Before we get to the final segment

of this podcast, what's making

539

:

us happy in food this week?

540

:

Let me say that, as I said, we

do have these reels on TikTok

541

:

and Instagram and Facebook.

542

:

We also have a Facebook group.

543

:

Clicking with Bruce and Mark, if

you're interested in being part of

544

:

that group, join us on Facebook.

545

:

We post these episodes and we

always ask you the question we're

546

:

about to ask ourselves, what's

making us happy in food this week?

547

:

Bruce: For me, it's gotta be something

I hadn't had in a very long time.

548

:

Fu Mark and I went.

549

:

True.

550

:

We did.

551

:

We went out to an Asian noodle

552

:

Mark: bar restaurant.

553

:

Post post annual doctor physicals.

554

:

Yep.

555

:

So when you have your physical

and you get your blood work,

556

:

make sure you go someplace and

order a big bowl of brisket fat

557

:

Bruce: and go on.

558

:

Yeah.

559

:

So.

560

:

Mark's bowl was all based with

rice, noodles and brisket.

561

:

It was, mine had this strip steak

that was grilled and sliced and

562

:

put on top, but then they said,

would you like to add something?

563

:

We suggest adding the brisket.

564

:

So I had the brisket

added to the strip steak.

565

:

Only

566

:

Mark: you would have

brisket and strip steak

567

:

Bruce: So we had that lunch and

then about seven o'clock that night,

568

:

more like, you're not making dinner.

569

:

I'm like, oh, I'm still full from lunch.

570

:

That was stayed with me,

571

:

Mark: but that was good.

572

:

It was good.

573

:

It, it was really wild.

574

:

Um, I wouldn't say it's

the best pho I'd ever had.

575

:

The broth was a little lacking,

but the meat was not lacking.

576

:

The meat

577

:

Bruce: was amazing.

578

:

They had

579

:

Mark: so.

580

:

Is that a verb?

581

:

Okay.

582

:

They had so heated the brisket,

so it was still pink inside,

583

:

but super tender and, and

584

:

Bruce: each piece I doused

585

:

Mark: in black vinegar before I ate it.

586

:

It was so good.

587

:

It was really kind of a crazy thing.

588

:

So, uh, what was making me happy

in food this last weekend is Bruce

589

:

and I spent a weekend in the Finger

Lakes of New York and we went down

590

:

to Ithaca and we explored the.

591

:

Ithaca, New York Farmer's Market.

592

:

And let me just say that if you have

never been to Ithaca, you should, if

593

:

you like waterfalls, because there

are about a billion waterfalls.

594

:

I may have overstated, but seems

like a billion within a very, very

595

:

short distance from Ithaca and even

on the campus of Cornell, but beyond.

596

:

That there is the Ithaca Farmer's

Market, which has been built on the

597

:

shores of one of the finger lakes.

598

:

It is a really spectacular

and special farmer's market.

599

:

Mm-hmm.

600

:

Lots of people.

601

:

We were there on a Saturday.

602

:

It was crowded, but it was nicely crowded.

603

:

Lots of families, lots of strollers,

lots of people making lunch stands

604

:

where you can eat lunch if you're

ever in upstate New York, and you

605

:

should visit for all the waterfalls.

606

:

You should really make a trip

to the Ithaca Farmer's Market.

607

:

It was fabulous.

608

:

It's quite amazing, and I bought

to continue this discussion, some

609

:

beautiful white kimchi, which is the

non deeply fermented, not terribly hot.

610

:

Mm-hmm.

611

:

Kimchi from a vendor at

that farmer's market.

612

:

It was really great.

613

:

Okay.

614

:

That's the podcast for this week.

615

:

Thanks for being part of our community.

616

:

Thanks for being with us on this journey.

617

:

We appreciate your being here, and we

hope that you will like and subscribe

618

:

to this podcast to keep it in your feed.

619

:

Bruce: Please go to our Facebook group

Cooking with Bruce and Mark and tell

620

:

us what's making you happy in food.

621

:

This week.

622

:

We want to know, because we share

what's making us happy each week.

623

:

We wanna know what's

making you happy in food.

624

:

This week here at Cooking

with Bruce and Mark,

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube