The Sweet Way To Balance Out The Saltiness Of Soy Sauce

If you're a fan of Asian cuisine, then a bottle of good soy sauce must definitely be a pantry staple. Renowned for its richness and strong savory-umami flavor, a little bit of this sauce can amp up the flavor of a long list of dishes from stir-fries to noodles and sushi. Sometimes, though, you might want to tone down soy sauce's intense taste. As tempting as it is to water it down, it may end up leaving the dish tasting weak. So here's a better idea: Stir in a bit of honey.

The natural sugar in honey can help you take the salty edge off. More importantly, it'll also lend a subtle sweetness to complement the soy's natural flavors, giving you a milder sauce that isn't watery-thin. Plus, honey-sweetened soy sauce is actually a required ingredient in many great recipes. So, if you're hoping to serve up a honey soy grilled skirt steak this weekend, this trick will be helpful to know anyhow.

Creating a honey-sweetened soy sauce is incredibly simple and quick. Just mix equal parts honey and soy sauce in a small bowl, stirring until the honey fully dissolves. The beauty of this method lies in its flexibility — you can easily adjust the ratio to suit your taste. Want it sweeter? Add more honey. Prefer a stronger umami flavor? Just stir in a bit more soy sauce.

This straightforward process is what makes honey such a great choice compared to other sweeteners like sugar. You can totally sweeten honey using sugar, which will result in a rudimentary form of kecap manis, a popular Indonesian sweetened soy sauce. However, to get good flavor out of this sugar-sweetened soy, you'll have to cook it together with herbs and spices on the stove for up to two hours.

Honey, on the other hand, blends seamlessly with soy sauce at room temperature, with no heat required. So if what you're after is a custom sauce that can be whipped up in seconds, honey is your best bet.

While honey and soy make a delicious duo, you can easily give this sauce combo an upgrade by adding a few extra ingredients to it. One popular choice is minced garlic, which will give the honey soy a pungent aroma that's perfect for chicken stir-fries or as a tasty dressing for your dumplings.

For those who enjoy a bit of heat, try adding grated ginger or a pinch of red pepper flakes to your honey-soy mixture. Ginger can add warm, spicy notes that cut through the sauce's richness, making it an excellent companion for grilled meats or roasted vegetables. The same goes for chili flakes, but they'd make you sweat from the heat rather than just a pleasant tingle like with ginger. Depending on the vibe you're after, choose either (or both).

Don't stop there, though. Experiment with adding a splash of rice vinegar for a tangy twist. Or a dash of sesame oil brings a nutty aroma. You can even sprinkle in some toasted sesame seeds if you want to bulk up the sauce with some texture. There's a lot of room to play around here, so feel free to get creative.