Soy Sauce and Other Ways to Season Without Using Salt
By
Eloísa Carmona - 2020-07-29T09:18:36Z
Salt enhances flavors; it is almost certainly the condiment that is never missing in the kitchen and could go in everything you cook, from salads to ice creams and drinks like micheladas or margaritas. Salt is wonderful, but the chemistry of food is so vast that it provides other ways to season without using it.For example, you could use soy sauce when cooking meats or fish, and it would also highlight the flavor of your food and add other touches because you can season the food with it. This might blow your mind (it did for me after discovering it in the Netflix documentary ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat’), because think about it, salt is basic in preparing meals, and have you ever really considered seasoning with something other than salt?There are many ingredients and seasonings close to salt that will not only bring out the best in foods but also offer their own unique flavors. Whether we use them in addition to or directly instead of salt, these flavor enhancers can become an indispensable part of your kitchen once you learn to use them.Soy SauceSoy sauce, made from fermented soybeans, is full of salt and has a deep, dark umami flavor, giving a profound and unmistakable taste to everything it touches, from fried rice to marinated chicken skewers. With it, for example, you could season a roasted chicken before putting it in the oven, some roasted vegetables, or even use a bit to season the liquid for braising ribs.Salt-Cured FishIf you like sardines or canned anchovies, you can mash them to make a paste and incorporate them into a salad dressing; similarly, you can include them in homemade pasta sauces. The best part about salt-cured fish is that you can make them less salty, for example, by rinsing them under running water or soaking them in cold water a few times.MisoMiso is a fermented mixture of soybeans and koji (a completely safe type of mold that grows on rice) that can be diluted and spread onto meats, mixed into marinades and sauces, or in dressings. You can use it in almost any soup or stew you can imagine, from a classic chicken noodle soup to a beef chili. The best part is that there are several different types to choose from, with flavor profiles ranging from mild and sweet to dark and bitter, so you can find one that best suits whatever you want to season.Fish SauceThis sauce is like a mix between soy sauce and cured fish but with a bigger and bolder flavor. Fish sauce is made from salted and fermented fish, and brings a sea-like salinity to the table, along with many fishy and caramel flavors. It is commonly found in Thai-style dishes, but you can use it in César salad dressings, simple pasta dishes, and even pizza sauce.Fermented or Pickled VegetablesMost fermented vegetables are packed in a mixture of salt, water, and spices while undergoing their transformation, meaning both the vegetables and the liquid they are in are very salty. Cutting the solid parts and tossing them into a grain salad or stirring them into a soup is an excellent way to add seasoning and a touch of pickle. And once you have used or eaten the pickles, you can use the brine like any of the previous liquid seasonings, in a marinade, in a salad dressing, or in a stew.Keep in mind that all these options are seasoning alternatives that contain salt, so except for naturally brewed soy sauce, they will not be a way to reduce your salt intake if that is what you were looking for, but they are a different way to add flavor to your food.