Soy Sauce

Salt, fermented funk and a massive hit of umami. It is liquid seasoning that adds a dark, savoury bass note to whatever it touches.

Good soy sauce should have a complex, slightly malty sweetness hiding behind the salt.

Manganese for bones and metabolism. You get a bit of protein too, but let's be realistic — you're not drinking soy sauce for the protein. It's a salty seasoning, so use it as such.

Ignore anything that lists 'caramel colour' or 'hydrolysed vegetable protein'. Those are shortcuts for impatient manufacturers.

Look for 'naturally brewed' or 'traditionally brewed' on the label. If the ingredient list is just soybeans, wheat, water and salt, you've found the good stuff.

Keep it in a cool, dark cupboard. If you buy the high-end, unpasteurised stuff, put it in the fridge to stop the fermentation from continuing and changing the flavour.

For your everyday bottle, just keep the lid tight so it doesn't oxidise and turn bitter.

It is the ultimate seasoning tool. Use light soy for saltiness and a subtle lift, or dark soy for a deep mahogany colour and richer body.

Don't just save it for stir-fries. A splash in a bolognese, a beef stew or even over roasted cabbage adds a savoury depth that salt alone cannot achieve.