Soy Sauce!

by Laura G. Lee

A joyful picture book for kids and foodies of all ages (with real soy sauce as paint!) that celebrates the iconic kitchen staple and the magical way food connects family and friends across the world.

Salty, savory, rich, and even sweet, soy sauce is as fascinating to make as it is delicious to eat!

Luan makes a classic Chinese soy sauce. Haru uses his own recipe at his family’s traditional Japanese brewery. And Yoo-mi’s Korean soy sauce features special ingredients to make it spicy and sweet.

With unique ingredients that reflect different Asian cultures, and a brewing process that can take years, even decades, soy sauce holds deep meaning and flavorful history in every drop.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Childrens, Asian Literature, Cooking, Aapi, Family

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 7, 2025

About the author

Laura G. Lee is a second-generation Korean American born in the wild mountains of West Virginia. Her forest-filled childhood, pondering beings great and small, nurtured a keen sense of observation that Laura brings to her lifelong career as a designer and artist.

After studying interactive media and design at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and a MA degree in Architecture from Columbia University, Laura's worn the hats of filmmaker, design researcher, and product designer. Using digital and traditional art mediums (watercolor, ink, pencil), she is passionate about stories that spark our connection to the world and each other.

Laura lives in a lovingly-restored Eichler home in Northern California, where she lives with her husband, son, and daughter. When she's not making books, you might spot her around town on a perpetual hunt for authentic Korean-Chinese jajangmyeon (a black bean noodle dish eaten in Seoul, Korea in the 1960s) or delightfully discovering modern day uses for Korean gochujang (red chili paste).

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was very young, my allergies started bothering me. My mom sent me to an allergist. I did one of those fun prick tests on my back. Along with nearly every plant in Texas, my allergist told me I was allergic to soy. "Yeah, right," I laughed, "I'm Asian." It didn't bother me at the time. And so I continued eating it.

Fast forward to a few years ago. My favorite Meatless Monday meal was white jasmine rice, boiled tofu, and water spinach dipped in fish sauce. It's a Viet thing. It sounds boring as hell, but I promise it's delicious.

Anyway, something was agitating my stomach. I puzzled over it before remembering my fated meeting with my allergist that many years ago. "No way," I thought, "Not me." Yes, way, in fact, it was me.

As such, I'm clearly a masochist and enjoy reading about this beautiful condiment that I can no longer consume. Maggi is good, but it doesn't compare. Don't you dare try to offer me coco aminos. And to the people that offer me tamari even after I tell you about my allergy, it's soy I'm allergic to, not gluten. Honestly.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and educational book! This book is great for all kids, but it will be especially valuable to kids with Asian heritage. The story flowed nicely and made sure that the reader knew everything there was to know about making soy sauce. I even learned some things! There was a little rhyming aspect that worked really well for the overall book. The drawings were so fun and detailed, and really brought the learning experience full-circle. Lastly, the way the creators of this book played with font size, boldness, and placement was so, so clever and helped to accentuate different things in the writing.
Bravo!

[Lisa Yee Swope · Rating 5 out of 5]

They. drew. with. Soy. Sauce.
Soy sauce is such an integral part of seasoning... everything! (Even my taco meat gets a healthy zotz of soy sauce!). The cooking onomatopoeia in big comic book style bubbles and splats reminds me of Ramen for Everyone. Truly these are life principles. Food means love.

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 131 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟🌟

What an insightful, culturally rich book that showcases how different cultures/races make their delicious soya sauce, a much used item in many scrumptious dishes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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[Tina Cho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soy Sauce by Laura G. Lee is a delightful, delicious story that shares the history of soy sauce as well as the variations among countries like Japan, Korea, and China in a fun, rhyming text. I love how the story shows the hard work that is put into making soy sauce as well as the fermentation process called koji. Charming pictures of Asian kids are accompanied by real soy sauce illustrations! Back matter includes more history about soy sauce and a visual dictionary. This is a fun book to introduce kids to a staple Asian ingredient.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great look at an ingredient that truly has a multicultural range! As always, food ties us together and im here for those books!!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced review copy!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rhyming picture book that celebrates soy sauce. With playful illustrations and text, this is lively introduction to the process of making soy sauce in several Asian countries. A fun book to use in units about food and cooking from around the world. And don't miss the additional information in the back of the book!

[Fatima Seraj Alam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful way of showing how soy sauce is made. I had no idea there were different ways of making soy sauce and that it took a long time for it to develop. Very interesting. The illustrations made an informative book non boring.

[Mitzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that the artist used actual soy sauce as paint in the book. Plus I had no idea how much actually went in to making soy sauce.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love letter to and a history of soy sauce!

[Jennifer Wadman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great end notes with visual glossary. Rhythm and rhyme partner with engaging illustrations to introduce the similarities and differences of soy sauce as it has developed in different cultures. The alternation between differences and unity brought cohesion to the book.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

With lyrical text and vibrant watercolors—including real soy sauce as paint!—this story describes the process of making Chinese, Japanese, and Korean soy sauce with the unique ingredients that reflect these three very different Asian cultures to create the magical sauce that ties so many people together, from the family table to street vendors to the fanciest restaurants around the world. What does it take to make life delicious? A dash or two of soy sauce, of course! End pages include a brief history of soy sauce and a glossary of key words mentioned in the story.

[Emily Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic mentor text for imagery, onomotopeia, page layout and more!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Netgalley

In this rhyming picture book, young readers learn a lot about that savory condiment, soy sauce. I did, too, since I had no idea that you could make it at home! There are many different recipes, but the essential steps include boiling soy beans, adding ingredients to help the mixture ferment, and letting the mixture age. There's even a tradition in some cultures of brewing soy sauce when children are born to give as a present for their weddings! There are regional differences in soy sauce ingredients and tastes; Japanese soy sauce often includes toasted wheat, while the Korean version has Chiles and fruits called jujubes. Indonesian soy sauce is thicker and flavored with star anise; I'll have to search for that when I'm at the international grocery store some day! Of course, there are also exuberant tableus of children cooking with soy sauce and enjoying the resultant dishes with relish.

The artwork has lots of detail, and I was most impressed with how some of the exclamatory words on the pages looked like they were painted in soy sauce! I'm imagining there was some kind of computer software involved, but it added a little bit of umami to the page design! There are some pages where the words are placed on top of the pictures in a way that makes them hard to read, but perhaps this will be shifted a bit in the final copy.

The one thought that kept occurring to me as I read this was that if my mother had been Asian, she would definitely have made her own soy sauce. I had my own apartment before I realized that in order to have pickle relish, you didn't have to grow cucumbers, pickle them, and then process them in the aluminum sausage grinder that clamped onto the counter! It's great to see books that teach the history of food and the process of making it. Soy Sauce! is a great addition to a buffet of picture books that includes Wu's Tofu Takes Time, Zhuang's Rainbow Shopping, Lam's Dim Sum, Here We Come, and the very complete Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods by Grace Lin.

[Elayne Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually remember the first time I tried soy sauce. The year: 1985. The place: Great Wall Chinese Restaurant in Shreveport, Louisiana (which opened that year, and is still in business!) My family went there specifically because they had a "kids eat free" thing going on, and while my brother was just a baby and only chewed on the corner of a menu, I got to order my *own* food!

In the 1980s South, going to a Chinese restaurant was *special.* It was my first time being offered wooden chopsticks (in addition to Western-style silverware), and instead of using them, I pocketed them as a souvenir. 😂 I remember the placemats had Chinese zodiac information, and the glass-covered tabletop contained a cool-looking bottle. It was, of course, Kikkoman soy sauce, and I had no idea what to do with it. I put waaaay too much on some steamed rice and proceeded to eat it with gusto, with a fork. 🤦‍♀️

This is all to say: soy sauce (as well as the meal) was revelatory. And so, too, is Laura Lee's lovely new celebration of it--Soy Sauce!--which is aptly titled as if it were a musical. And so it should be, what with its enhanced read-aloudability, lively language, and true labor-of-love nature! (How laborious? Well, for one thing, she actually painted WITH it for the visual storytelling! SO! Talk about awesome sauce!)

This soyful (soulful+joyful) exploration of our salty old friend is, itself, infused with flavor and goodness, including rich backmatter on interesting differences in production processes throughout Asia, slow food, and a lovely visual glossary. The result is a sharp, well-seasoned, and scintillating look at a condiment that may be ubiquitous now--yet is still so incredibly special.

Just like my first soy sauce experience, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love children’s books about the cultural importance of food, Laura G. Lee’s “Soy Sauce!” will not disappoint. This sweet story takes the reader on a quick journey to learn how soy sauce is made in different parts of the world

The story discusses how the fermentation process begins and how patience is important to get a truly delicious soy sauce. A visual glossary at the end provides additional background information (I didn’t know that Indonesian soy sauce uses star anise as a flavoring!).

The illustrations are cheerful and gently emphasize the importance of family and culture. The text is spare, but discusses complex topics such as umami and fermentation. If you like food stories of all types, be sure to check out “Soy Sauce!”

This book is great for readers of all ages who enjoy reading about food and food culture.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Yuko Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful picture book takes readers on an engaging journey to discover how soy sauce is made. As more families explore diverse cuisines, soy sauce has become a staple in many kitchens, making this book a timely and fascinating read. With clear, engaging storytelling and vibrant illustrations, it offers a fun and educational experience for young readers and their families.

This book also highlights how different cultures use unique ingredients to create their own distinctive flavors of soy sauce. It’s a wonderful way to introduce children to cultural diversity through food. Pairing this book with a hands on cooking activity or a taste testing session of soy sauces from around the world would make for an enriching experience.

With its engaging narrative and rich cultural insights, this book is sure to become a favorite, perfect for multiple readings and family discussions!

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soy sauce. Who knew you could write an entire book about soy sauce?

The thing is, this is a really good book. I had no idea how soy sauce was made - or that it was different according to the different countries it comes from. So I never knew that in Japan there is wheat added to soy sauce. Or that it's more spicy in Korea.

This book was a lot of fun. I learned things. I loved the illustrations. The storyline was a little vague, but soy sauce is a journey which makes sense given how long it takes to make. My respect has grown for anyone who makes soy sauce. I will treat it with more respect now, whenever it use to make fried rice or stir fry.

This is a book which needs to be paired with Chinese takeout...because you're going to want to eat something with soy sauce when you read it.

[A Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surely the first children's book I've seen all about soy sauce! I realize now that there is a lot I didn't know about soy sauce and I loved learning from the back of the book that "there's a tradition in Korea of brewing soy sauce for a newborn to give as a gift at their future wedding." I really enjoyed the illustration style, although it was a bit odd when the characters became soybean-sized on a few of the pages. After explaining how soy sauce is made and some of the different ingredients added in different parts of the world, Lee's characters imagine where they will be when their soy sauce is ready to eat. "Will we be climbing mountains, exploring oceans, or floating out in space? What kind of food will we be eating? Who will share our plates?" An adorable book that I am adding to my wishlist.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came to me via my new materials cart. Evocative, sensorial food writing! Not much of a plot, as the title indicates, this is a compelling history of soy sauce. The rhythm, onomatopoeia, and vocabulary here could make this a contender for a preschool story time (maybe a little on the long side? i don't know these things yet?).

"Dark amber, warm like honey, briny like the sea. Soy sauce fills the mouth with umami, the spirit of savory!" I'm loving and feeling so inspired by the all the word ending eeeeee sounds here. Paired with the illustration of a family rafting on an iridescent current of soy sauce, this page is really effective and so much fun. Soy sauce is as exciting as a roller coaster! throw your hands up and scream!

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fascinating! Loved learning a bit about soy sauce and how different flavor profiles are developed. I loved the spreads that showed families from different cultural/ethnic backgrounds making their own soy sauce. 5 kinds of soy sauce were used in the making of the illustrations and I find that ingenious! Did this as a readaloud with 2nd graders and we had a great discussion about picture book making processes after we finished the book (they wanted to know if the pages tasted like soy sauce). I think we all were suprised to learn how long it takes for soy sauce to ferment, but also that fungi blooms are involved. How interesting to learn the sauce is created by koji consuming the soybeans. I'm hoping there's a video somewhere of the illustration process!

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review will be live on my blog - donnasbookblog on 7 January 2025 - publication day!

I thought that this was a really simple book at the start but it grew and was really well done.

As an adult I have had soy sauce many times on and in food (and I love it!) but I didn't realise that it was made differently in the countries mentioned in the book and I found that fascinating.

The book was well illustrated and the book had some good little facts too at the end. There were a couple of pages where the text was over the images and that didn't make it very easy to read but the rest of the book was spot on and you learnt as you read!

It is 4 stars from me, highly recommended!

[Reading Adventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful imaginitive and creative look at a food loved by so many, Soy Sauce! In this story we learn all about the many ways that soy sauce is made and used. They talked about family traditional recipes from several countries. It is a stunningly engaging story introducing our little ones to many different people and cultures and their traditions. I learned so much about the process of creating soy sauce, I never knew so much. The story uses lyrical text and creative illustrations that use soy sauce to paint the story. We loved this book. It is perfect for any child interested in food and learning other cultural traditions. It is perfect addition to our home library.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food books for kids are the coolest and this celebrates soy sauce, made differently in different Asian cultures and explains what Koreans versus Japanese versus Chinese do differently to create the deep profile of delicious soy sauce.

Who knew about the fermentation and also about the length of time soy sauce sits with stories about families making a batch of soy sauce when a child is born and giving it to them when they marry.

I am not a soy sauce uber fan but maybe it's because I need to do some taste testing and experimentation to have *good* soy sauce (like olive oils and tea) to understand what I've likely been missing then mow down!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've honestly never given a thought to this tasty concoction that adds so much flavor to foods I love. I just go to the store and buy a bottle of soy sauce. But in much of Asia, families make their own. So much effort, and so many years of fermentation go into the process of making soy sauce.

"There's a tradition in Korea of brewing soy sauce for a newborn to give as a gift at their future wedding."

This is a wonderful book for all ages - a real treat for anyone interested in learning about other cultures and the food we eat.

Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for sharing.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3! Creatively done! For ages K-1st. Takes us on a journey of a Chinese girl Luan, a Japanese boy Haru, and a Korean girl Yoo-mi as they learn about making soy sauce in their different cultures. Illustrations are done with watercolor (and according to the book info, real soy sauce!!), and the text rhymes. I like how learning about soy sauce with the children was portrayed as an adventure (the soy sauce river/boat they zoom on). I learned a lot about how soy sauce has been made in different areas - it wasn't overly technical, and was very simple - easy for children to understand. There's a visual glossary in the back and a longer, text-filled description of what different countries do.

[Jared White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of soy sauce and I know that there are some kinds I enjoy more than others, but I have never really known there were actual differences in how it's made and the ingredients. This is a celebration of soy sauce, taking care to craft something delicious (the author says soy sauce is a "slow food"), and time together.

I think this could work well in a storytime about food with elementary school students. Some of the illustrations are a little small, so I would probably only use it with a group of 20 or less.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little text but says alot and teaches kids about soy sauce, how it's made and what variations there are around the world. So well done, with so few words. The images also add to the story, and help tell the reader more. With pictures of the people making the soy sauce and the ingredients it can have. I love that this is about a food many cultures use, but shows that each location/country has their own version. Kids will love seeing a food that many know and use daily, given a place of love in this book.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea how long it took to make soy sauce. They let it ferment for years. Really. I'm sure the stuff nowadays doesn't do that.

Soy Sauce was invented in China 2000 years ago. Each country makes it their own way. Japan adds wheat to it. Korea adds jujubees and chilis to there for a sweet and spicy flavor. Those three countries seem to be the big three.

They go into the process of making it. It's a complex condiment we use all the time and never think of the time it takes. Wow.

I'm very hungry now. I'll go get something I can eat with soy sauce. Yum.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, exuberant dive into the creation of and history of soy sauce. Fun for a unit on food or as background for an elementary school report. No sources or additional reading are included, but the back matter goes into some specifics of how different cultures differ in their recipes, how important long fermentation is, and the four essential elements to all soy sauce recipes and traditions.

Lively, colorful watercolor illustrations follow three Asian children as they participate in soy sauce making.