First Draw Soy Sauce

One sign that a society is affluent is the large number of offerings for a single class of product. For example, the bread aisle has over a dozen choices; not that long ago the decision was between white and whole wheat.

I also remember when there were only a couple of soy sauce brands on the shelf. Now there are light, dark, and special blends for cooking seafood and dipping dumplings. And there are at least three different manufacturers for each.

Lee Kum Kee (LKK), the company that makes a high-end oyster sauce, is selling a "first draw" soy sauce for 2-3 times the price of the regular stuff:

Compared to dark soy sauce, light soy sauce has a lighter color and is less salty, and is best used for seasoning and fine tuning the flavors of a dish. Based on the sauce’s quality, it can be further divided into “first draw,” collected when the beans are fermented for the first time. Its quality is the highest with a richer taste. It occupies a similar position to extra-virgin in the world of olive oil. And naturally, it’s sold for more. The second and third extractions are known respectively as “gold label” or “silver label,” affordable and found in the pantry of just about every average household.

It sounded like the language that wine connoisseurs use to distinguish the objects of their affection. Fully aware that I was probably being played, I bought a small bottle for $7.29 at 99 Ranch. At my age I should live a little.