Soy sauce
A dark, salty liquid seasoning made by fermenting soybeans, usually with wheat, in brine.
Also: shoyu, jiangyou, ganjang, kecap
Soy sauce began in China more than two thousand years ago and spread across East and Southeast Asia. Soybeans, often with roasted wheat, are inoculated with a mould, mixed with brine and left to ferment for months. The mash is then pressed, and the liquid is the sauce. Styles differ widely. Chinese light and dark soy, Japanese shoyu, wheat-free tamari and the sweet, thick kecap manis of Indonesia are all members of the family.