Soy sauce

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/soy-sauce

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the key enzymes involved?Proteases and amylases from Aspergillus oryzae
2. What is the primary umami compound?Glutamic acid
3. What is soy sauce and why does it taste so good?Soy sauce is a dark liquid made by fermenting soybeans and grains. It gives food a salty, savory taste called umami.
4. How is soy sauce made?First, cooked soybeans and roasted wheat are mixed with a mold called Aspergillus oryzae to make koji. Then the koji is mixed with saltwater and left to ferment for months, producing the rich flavor.

Koji: Steamed grains (like rice or wheat) inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae mold, used as a starter for fermentation.
Moromi: The mash or paste resulting from the initial koji fermentation, which then undergoes secondary fermentation in brine.
Enzymes: Biological catalysts, typically proteins, that speed up specific biochemical reactions, such as breaking down starches and proteins.