Few dishes can’t be made tastier with a dash of soy sauce.
With its ability to enhance the taste of everything from sushi and stir-fries to marinades and chilli, this umami-rich condiment adds a delightful salty punch to all our favourite meals.
For the best flavour, light soy sauce is your go-to, while the dark variety is perfect for adding colour to noodle or rice dishes.
However, do you know that pouring it could become even simpler, and the trick has been right under your nose the entire time?
This ingenious hack was revealed by chef Elly Pear, leaving Instagram followers in awe, so anyone with a bottle in their kitchen should give it a whirl, reports the Express.
She demonstrated using a Kikkoman soy sauce bottle, a familiar purchase for many supermarket-goers. Interestingly, the iconic red cap does more than keep the contents fresh.
Drilled into each side of the cap are holes crafted for effortless pouring. However, if you often find yourself struggling to get the right amount, this clever hack might just eliminate the fuss.
By pressing your finger against one of the holes while you pour, you transform it into a makeshift stopper, controlling the flow to avoid any soy sauce wastage.
Elly explained in her caption: “A design classic, the Kikkoman bottle has a very cleverly designed lid, but did you realise that’s how you use it?”
An ingenious design feature in soy sauce bottles is gaining widespread attention thanks to a video revelation. A trick for spill-free pouring has been disclosed: “Hold your finger firmly against one side, and the soy sauce will stop flowing from the other, meaning no spills or splashes and complete control.”
The traditionally large two-litre containers of soy sauce sold in Japan until the late 60s prompted Kikkoman to commission Kenji Ekuan, a promising young talent who would rise to fame as one of Japan’s most revered industrial designers, to devise a more user-friendly bottle.
After three years of development and over 100 prototypes, Ekuan’s team delivered the iconic solution: a balanced bell-shaped vessel with an easy-refill flared opening, topped with a distinctive red cap boasting dual spouts – one for dispensing the sauce effortlessly and another for air intake, creating a clean and consistent flow while eliminating drips.
Social media users shared their awe and surprise in response to the viral video detailing this tip, with numerous viewers confessing that the shape of the lid was a mystery to them prior to watching.
One viewer said: “I just thought one side came out faster than the other.”
Another commented: “Genius! Why aren’t all pouring bottles made like this!”
One person admitted: “I did not know that, and I’ve just used my soy sauce in my stir fry!”
While another added: “Amazing! Every day is a school day.”