Gift Guide, Day 2
November 29, 2010
Artisanal Soy Sauce
Nobody goes out and spends twenty bucks on a bottle of soy sauce. At least too few people do. Which makes this a perfect gift opportunity.
Artisanal soy sauce is one of those magic elixirs that makes everything taste better. If you’ve never had it, you won’t believe how different it can be from the commercial kind. (And if all you’ve ever tasted is the really cheap supermarket soy sauce that is basically caramelized water, you have a real revelation ahead of you. Just the jump from that to, say, Kikkoman, is huge. The leap into one of the hand-made brands is another enormous step forward.)
You can buy a few different brands of fine soy sauce from Corti Brothers in Sacramento. You can buy it other places as well, but when you go to the Corti Brothers website you can also download the most opinionated, illuminating and interesting newsletter in the business. I learn something every time I read one of Darrell Corti’s entries. That’s another great gift – and it’s free.
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8 Comments
Please note their site is : http://www.cortibros.biz NOT cortibrothers.biz 😉
Thanks Worldwidewade; done!
Any recommendation for a particular choice? Their site doesn’t seem to have much info on the difference between the options available. Thanks!
My interest is piqued by artisanal soy sauce, but I don’t think I could part with it. It will be a gift for myself!
Soy sauce is one of those products that I haven’t thought much about being better or worse than the other, but like olive oil and vinegar, I’m sure quality makes all the difference. Great recommendation!
Gilly: This might be a useful guide:
http://cortibros.biz/WEBSITE/Groceries/SoySauce/SoySauces.asp#kikkoman
While we’re on the subject of expensive condiments, would you give me a recommendation for how to choose sherry vinegar?
Androidsister: What you want is a Riserva Sherry Vinegar. What you don’t want is the sweet kind, which is, in my opinion, like balsamic vinegar, but not as good. Great sherry vinegar is very intense, but don’t be afraid to cut it with a little water. Work with it!
Have you seen or tasted Bluegrass Soy Sauce? it’s made in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. http://www.bourbonbarrelfoods.com