 A bottle of Indonesiankecap manis | |
| Alternative names | Kecap manis |
|---|---|
| Type | Cookingsauce andcondiment |
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | Java |
| Created by | Indonesians |
| Main ingredients | Fermentedsoy sweetened withpalm sugar molasses |
| Variations | Soy sauce, mild sweet soy sauce |
Sweet soy sauce (Indonesian:kecap manis;Indonesian pronunciation:[ˌket͡ʃap̚ˈmanɪs]) is a sweetened aromaticsoy sauce, originating inIndonesia, which has a darker color, a viscous syrupy consistency, and amolasses-like flavor due to the generous addition ofpalm sugar orjaggery.[1]Kecap manis is widely used withsatay. It is similar to, though finer in flavor than, ChineseTianmian sauce (tianmianjiang).[1] It is by far the most commonly employed type of soy sauce inIndonesian cuisine and accounts for an estimated 90 percent of the nation's total soy sauce production.[2]
Compared tokecap asin, the mildly salty regular soy sauce, sweet soy sauce has a slightly thicker consistency and tastes much sweeter. Thiscondiment is made from afermented paste of boiled blacksoybeans, roastedgrain,brine, andAspergillus wentiimold, to which palm sugar is added.[3] The strong sweet taste is contributed by a generous amount of palm sugar; the sauce may contain up to 50 percentgula merah orgula jawa (palm sugarjaggery). Indonesian sweet soy sauce is often enriched with spices, includingstar anise,cinnamon,black pepper,coriander, andclove.[2]
Kecap manis is an essential sauce in theIndonesian pantry. It is used to add a pleasantly mild sweet andumami flavor to most common Indonesian dishes, includingnasi goreng,mie goreng,kwetiau goreng,ayam kecap (roasted chicken),babi kecap (braised pork),semur beef stew, andketoprak. It is also a popularmarinade forgrilled dishes, such assatay,ayam bakar (grilled chicken), andikan bakar (grilled fish). Sweet soy sauce is also the basis for a common dipping sauce when mixed with choppedshallot andbird's eye chili and served alongsidetahu goreng (fried tofu).Steamed rice topped withfried egg and drizzled with sweet soy sauce was a common meal among Indonesians in the 1990s and 2000s, especially children. In Eastern Indonesia, sweet soy sauce is used as the ingredient ofcolo-colo dipping sauce, although traditionally thisMaluku sauce uses black-colored rendered coconut oil residue.
There are a wide variety of sweet soy sauce brands in Indonesia.Kecap manis is traditionally a small-scale home industry. However, a handful of brands are widely distributed throughout Indonesia and regionally, such askecap manisABC,[4] Kecap Bango,[3]Indofood, and Sedaap.[5][6]
Besides the national brands, there are numerous regional brands, such as Ikan Lele inPati, Mirama inSemarang, Orang Jual Sate inProbolinggo, Siong Hin (SH) inTangerang, Tomat Lombok inTegal, etc.[7] More or less, there are a hundred regional brands ofkecap manis.[8]
Some brands distribute widely in the Netherlands like Conimex,[9] Inproba,[10] Kaki Tiga, and "A" Trade Mark.[citation needed]
Sweet soy sauce is widely available in Indonesian marketplaces,warungs, minimarkets, supermarkets,toko, andAsian grocery stores worldwide. However, it is difficult to find in most parts of Europe (except for theNetherlands,UK,France andGermany) and also scarce in theAmericas. Sweet soy sauce can be made from regular soy sauce. Regular soy sauce mixed withbrown sugar, with a trace of molasses added, can serve as a substitute for sweet soy sauce.[11]
Kecap manis Indonesian cuisine.
Soy (Glycine max) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General |  | ||||||||||||
| Soy-based dishes | |||||||||||||
| Plant milk | |||||||||||||
| Meat analogues | |||||||||||||
| Sauces and condiments |
| ||||||||||||
| Other foods | |||||||||||||
| Biochemicals |
| ||||||||||||
| Companies | |||||||||||||
| Other |
| ||||||||||||
