Soy Sauce, So Confusing

They look the same, smell the same, and even taste very similar. So what is the difference between soy sauce, shoyu, nama shoyu, and tamari anyway? It seems a little confusing, but all of these salty seasonings originate from the same humble ingredient, the soybean.

One method of making soy sauce is by fermenting soybeans (which removes the two chemicals, goitrogens and phytoestrogens, that affect your thyroid and sex hormones). - wheat- water- and a special starter containing an aspergillus fungus. This mixture can be fermented for several years, which is the traditional method. 

A modern method speeds up the process by skipping the fermentation step, cooking the soybeans with hydrochloric acid (which leaves chemical residue) , and adding caramel color, corn syrup, salt and MSG.

When buying Soy sauce - look for the words traditionally brewed, organic, and non-GMO. This is one condiment I will not compromise on – it’s worth the extra cost for purity and unparalleled flavour. 

Soy Sauce – this is a Chinese seasoning of which there are two varieties, light and dark. The light one is lighter in colour with a low viscosity, and it is extremely salty. This type is more expensive than dark and used as a condiment at the table. Dark soy sauce is deep in colour with a higher viscosity, and sweeter in flavour (usually due to additives such as caramel colour and/or molasses). Dark soy sauce is used more frequently in cooking.

Shoyu – This is the Japanese word for soy sauce. Shoyu is traditionally used as a condiment or seasoning after cooking, and for dipping sushi.

Nama Shoyu – Typically called for and used in raw food recipes, nama shoyu is unpasteurized soy sauce. However, because the vast majority of soy sauces are heated about 118°F / 47°C during pasteurization, you must read the label to confirm that the sauce is truly “raw”. Many brands label themselves nama shoyu even though they have been pasteurized.

Tamari – Tamari is another type of soy sauce, but prefect for people with gluten intolerance, as it is traditionally brewed without wheat. Absolutely check the labels to be one hundred percent sure. It must say gluten- and wheat-free.

Tamari has a stronger flavour than shoyu. It is usually used to season longer cooking foods such as soups, stews, and baked dishes. Tamari is used less frequently as a tabletop condiment or seasoning because its flavour can be overpowering.

All that said, I generally just keep shoyu in my kitchen, as I find it the most versatile of all the soy sauces.
Always remember to keep soy sauces of any kind in the refrigerator. Yes, it goes bad. A bottle of open soy sauce will keep for two to three months.

Noops Notes: I keep Shoyu and Tamari and use it alternatively with recipes. I use the organic versions of San-J brand. Can buy it here on Amazon.