Soy sauce is an essential ingredient in many types of Asian cuisine. If you love to cook Chinese, Japanese, Thai or Korean food, you probably already know how important an ingredient soy sauce is in a variety of different dishes. If you are the type of person who likes to experiment with exotic recipes and make foods completely from scratch, you may enjoy learning how to make soy sauce at home.

Making homemade soy sauce is not for the impatient—or the faint of heart. The soybeans must be allowed to mold up and then ferment, which can take 3-6 months and create a somewhat unpleasant odor. If you are not willing to deal with the amount of time involved (or a strange smell throughout your house), you may be better off sticking with the grocery store variety. If you have a tough stomach and a love for long-term projects, however, this may be an excellent endeavor for you.

Here's what you will need to get started:

• 16 ounces of soybeans, cooked until soft and crumbly
• 12 ounces of flour
• 8 ounces of salt
• A gallon of waterhttp://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/103707-making-soy-sauce-at-hom/

1. Chop soybeans finely (you may use a food processor)
2. Knead soybeans together with flour
3. Form a log with the mixture
4. Cut into 1/4 inch-thick discs
5. Lay discs between moist paper towels
6. Wrap in plastic cling wrap
7. Let sit until discs are completely saturated with mold (a week or more)
8. Set discs out to dry (in sunlight is best)
9. Wait until discs have turned brown and are completely dried
10. Mix together salt and water in a large pot or bucket
11. Add dried discs
12. Cover loosely with plastic wrap
13. Allow to sit and ferment, stirring daily
14. As soon as discs have dissolved completely, you are done--this can take a few weeks to a couple of months
15. Now you have soy sauce!http://en.wordpress.com/tag/making-soy-sauce-at-home/

For those with soy or wheat allergies, here is a simple recipe for a soy-free sauce. Use salt, water and molasses or caramel. Heat the water, and then just add ingredients to taste. The heating process will change the flavor, so wait until the mixture is hot before adding more of anything to alter your sauce. Experiment with different levels until you are satisfied.

For more flavor, you may add vegetable stock to the recipe. Just be sure to lower the amount of salt used (or eliminate it altogether), as stock has plenty of sodium already.http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Homemade%20soy%20sauce%20for%20those%20with%20allergies