Soy Sauce vs. Worcestershire Sauce - What's The Difference?

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A kitchen simply isn’t complete without the right fixings and sauces accessible to go with various dinners. There are a few fundamentals that most kitchens have, and two of these incorporate soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce are famous fixings that most of us know about, yet they are two toppings that a considerable lot of us become confounded.

What is the distinction between soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce? The ingredients found in the Worcestershire Sauce preparation include vinegar, cloves, pepper, fructose, corn syrup, tamarind, onion and garlic. At the same time, the ingredients found in soy sauce are wheat, salt, soybeans and koji.

Soy sauce is fermented for about six months, whereas Worcestershire Sauce is fermented for at least eighteen months. The taste of soy sauce is salty, while the taste of Worcestershire sauce is umami and stronger comparatively. Below we have mentioned in detail the nutritional facts, health benefits and usage of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. So, keep on reading the article to know more.

Table of Contents

What Is Soy Sauce?

Soy sauce is known as a salty sauce that is fermented and is commonly used on fish and other products. Soy sauce is originated from Asia and predominantly used in Asian Cuisine. The flavor of this sauce is sweet and salty. It takes about six years to be fermented and is made from mixing wheat, soybeans, salt, and enzymes.

Nutritional Facts

A tablespoon containing sixteen grams of soy sauce has the following nutritional facts:

Calories: 8.5 Kcal
Fat: 0.1g
Sodium: 879mg
Carbohydrates: 0.8g
Fiber: 0.1g
Sugars: 0.06g
Protein: 1.3g

Health Benefits

Soy sauce is a food item that is consumed in minute quantity to enhance the taste, so it doesn’t provide any substantial health benefits. Yet, due to the fermentation process of soy sauce, some studies have shown that it enhances the bioavailability of isoflavones in the body. Some of the evidence has shown that it also enhances the antioxidant properties in the body.

What Is Worcestershire Sauce?

Worcestershire Sauce is a pungent sauce made from mixing soy, garlic, and vinegar. It is originated in India and later got famous in England. The ingredients found in it are vinegar, cloves, pepper, fructose, corn syrup, tamarind, onion and garlic. It takes about two years to be fermented and has a unique flavor. This sauce is used in various cuisines.

Nutritional Facts

A serving size of one tablespoon or seventeen grams of Worcestershire Sauce contains:

Calories 13 kcal
Fats 0 grams
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 167 mg
Potassium 136 mg
Carbs 3.3 g
Dietary fiber 0 g
Proteins 0 g

Health Benefits

Worcestershire Sauce is also used in minute quantity to get a stronger taste in your dish. Yet it contains certain vitamins that make it healthy. Due to the presence of a diverse range of ingredients, it contains vitamin B6, which helps in boosting immunity. It also contains antioxidant properties, which works as an anti-aging agent. The vitamin C present in the sauce helps fight free radicals, and the niacin helps in improving digestion.

So, What’s The Difference Between Soy Sauce and Worcestershire Sauce?

Soy sauce and Worcestershire are closely related, yet they are quite different. Below, we have mentioned certain differences that will help you differentiate between the sauces better.

1. Ingredients

The ingredients found in the Worcestershire Sauce preparation include vinegar, cloves, pepper, fructose, corn syrup, tamarind, onion and garlic. This sauce contains rich flavors and complex ingredients. The presence of tamarind in the sauce gives a unique smell.

On the other hand, soy sauce is made from simpler ingredients such as wheat, salt, soybeans and koji. All these ingredients are mixed and kept for fermentation for six months. As a result, a sweet yet salty taste sauce is formed. There exists various intensity soy sauce, which has various tastes.

2. Processing

Fermentation is the basic processing included in the formation of both sauces. Yet the only difference included is the time the sauce takes to get fermented. The fermentation process increases the shelf life of the sauce and plays a crucial role in enhancing the taste.

The more the fermentation process is, the stronger the sauce is. Soy sauce is fermented for about six months, whereas Worcestershire Sauce is fermented for at least eighteen months. The longer fermentation gives Worcestershire Sauce a unique and distinct flavor.

3. Usage

Usage is another reason; soy sauce and Worcestershire Sauce are differentiated. Both the sauces are used in different styles and ways. Worcestershire Sauce is mostly paired with beef items such as soups, stews etc. Sometimes it is drizzled on the egg to enhance the taste. Worcestershire Sauce is similar to a sauce used in Japan named tonkatsu sauce.

On the other hand, soy sauce is mostly used with cold foods such as sashimi and sushi. It provides a more enriched taste and flavor. Soy sauce is also added to marinated goof to enhance the taste of meat or chicken. The soy sauce taste is salty, which makes the food taste delicious.

4. Flavors

The flavor of soy sauce and Worcestershire Sauce is closely related yet different. If we pinpoint the flavor of soy sauce in one word, that would be salty. When soy sauce is fermented, the flavor is further enhanced, but the tanginess remains unchanged.

Similarly, the Worcestershire Sauce flavor is a little complex as it has a variety of ingredients mixed in. secondly, it is fermented for a longer time, which further molds the taste. Anyways, Worcestershire Sauce has a pungent taste or flavor which enhances the taste. Both the sauces are readily used in Asian cuisine.

Soy Sauce as A Substitute for Worcestershire Sauce

You can surely substitute soy sauce for Worcestershire Sauce, but one should keep certain things in mind. First of all, Worcestershire Sauce is stronger in taste and has a diverse range of flavors. So, in case you want to use it as a substitute for soy sauce, you need to dilute the Worcestershire Sauce. Dilute it by the ratio of 1: 2 (two being water).

Secondly, don’t expect you to get the same taste once you swap two of the sauces, as both have different tastes. And in case you want to use soy sauce instead of Worcestershire Sauce, you would need to add a double amount of soy sauce to get close results. And you would also have to add some other ingredients such as sugar, anchovies and vinegar.