We all know what you’re pondering, and no, coconut aminos doesn’t really come from coconuts. The sauce is definitely produced from coconut plant sap that’s fermented to present it a savory, candy taste. This makes it a perfect addition to marinades, salad dressings, or dipping sauces.
Some of the comparable sauces to coconut aminos is soy sauce. Whereas neither of those sauces are nutrient-dense, coconut aminos do have a leg up for being soy-, wheat-, and gluten-free. It’s additionally rather less salty in comparison with soy sauce, containing solely 66 milligrams (ml) of sodium per 5 milliliters versus soy sauce’s 306 ml for a similar serving.
Able to get cooking? Attempt coconut aminos instead of a few of these generally used sauces.
Soy sauce
The most consumed seasoning in East and Southeast Asian delicacies, soy sauce offers a salty and umami flavor to dishes. It’s made with 5 ingredients which can be fermented, together with:
Soy sauce could be very comparable in consistency and coloration to coconut aminos, making it a easy 1:1 ratio swap for any recipe.
In the case of style, it’s possible you’ll discover a slight distinction. Coconut aminos give a light, candy taste whereas conventional soy sauce may be extra salty and wealthy. As we talked about beforehand, soy sauce contains large amounts of salt in comparison with coconut aminos (even low-sodium soy sauce comprises 162 mg of sodium per teaspoon).
On this state of affairs, coconut aminos is a superb possibility for people who have allergies to the substances present in soy sauce together with wheat, gluten, and soy.
Tamari
Tamari, additionally known as shoyu, is a well-liked Japanese-style soy sauce. It comprises related substances to soy sauce, however tamari comprises little to no wheat and makes use of a particular fungus and brine for fermentation. The shortage of wheat and higher soybean content material offers tamari a stronger umami taste (however much less salty) in comparison with soy sauces.
The consistency of tamari is just like that of coconut aminos, making it simple to swap on a 1:1 ratio. Then again, tamari is darker and is more savory than coconut aminos, probably making your meals style and look completely different.
Psst… It’s additionally necessary to notice that tamari can nonetheless have some traces of wheat, subsequently selecting coconut aminos as a substitute is right for these with wheat and soy allergic reactions.
Liquid aminos
Whereas coconut aminos come from coconut sap, liquid aminos come from soybeans. As a substitute of being fermented, liquid aminos is made by including hydrochloric acid to the soybeans to make free amino acids. So as to neutralize any remaining acid, sodium bicarbonate is added which then creates sodium chloride (aka salt). This ends in a darkish, salty sauce that’s similar to soy sauce.
Coconut aminos is far decrease in sodium in comparison with its liquid amino counterpart. For a 5 ml serving, liquid aminos can include as much as 310 mg of sodium, which is simply as a lot as common soy sauce.
Since coconut aminos have a lot much less salt, utilizing it instead of liquid aminos might alter the flavour of your meals and make it much less salty however sweeter. Liquid aminos additionally nonetheless include soy, just like soy sauce and tamari, making coconut aminos the proper substitute for these with soy allergic reactions.
Teriyaki
If you mix soy sauce, sake (a Japanese alcoholic beverage created from fermented rice) or mirin (rice wine), sugar, and ginger, you wind up with a candy and salty sauce known as teriyaki.
Whereas coconut aminos present an identical candy taste that teriyaki brings to a recipe, the consistency gained’t be the identical. With the addition of sugar (generally brown sugar), teriyaki is usually a bit extra thick and sticky whereas coconut aminos is skinny, just like straight soy sauce. Including cornstarch to coconut aminos and making a slurry is an choice to make it thicker if it’s getting used to cook dinner with.
Once more, since teriyaki comprises soy sauce, it’s not a perfect possibility for these with meals allergic reactions. One possibility is to make your personal teriyaki sauce and use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
Worcestershire
We’re venturing away from Asian-inspired sauces and together with a sauce that was created in England. Worcestershire is produced from a wide range of substances to present it an umami taste, together with:
These substances are fermented to create the tip outcome, a skinny, darkish, and salty sauce that’s typically used to enhance steaks, create Caesar salad dressing, and boost Bloody Mary cocktails. Not like the previous sauces, Worcestershire sauce and coconut aminos have related sodium ranges, with Worcestershire containing 45 mg per 5 ml.
Whereas consistency and saltiness could also be comparable between coconut aminos and Worcestershire, the spices present in Worcestershire set it aside from coconut aminos. So as to have a comparatively related taste when cooking with coconut aminos instead of Worcestershire, remember to add spices corresponding to garlic, anchovies, chili pepper, and clove.
Miso paste
Miso is one other soybean-based sauce. It’s made by fermenting soybeans with koji mildew after which mixing it right into a paste. In accordance with a 2021 article, koji mildew is usually created with rice, however different grains corresponding to barley and even soybeans can be utilized.
There are a number of miso options, however a number of the most typical ones embody:
- White miso: mellow, candy
- Pink miso: pungent, fermented for an extended time frame
- Yellow miso: a mixture of white and crimson
In the case of the three types of miso paste, coconut aminos would solely be a great different for the white miso since they share gentle and candy flavors. The stand-out distinction between coconut aminos and miso is that one is a liquid and the opposite is a paste. Miso may be mixed with water to present it an identical consistency as coconut aminos, however it might wind up a bit diluted.
Fish sauce
No secrets and techniques right here, fish sauce is produced from fish. Following the identical sample of many of those different sauces, it’s produced from fermenting fish (usually anchovies) which leaves a briny liquid. For the reason that fish is fermented by being crusted with sea salt, it comprises a whopping 1260 mg of sodium per tablespoon.
Whereas each coconut aminos and fish sauce are a skinny, liquid consistency, the downfall of utilizing coconut aminos instead of fish sauce is that coconut aminos don’t present that “fishy” taste. You’ll possible discover the distinction.
