What's the Difference Between Tamari and Soy Sauce?

Soy sauce and its many forms are found widely throughout Asia, but tamari is specifically a Japanese form of soy sauce, traditionally made as a byproduct of miso paste. Soy sauce originated in China and then spread throughout Asia.

While both soy sauce and tamari are by-products of fermented soybeans, the main difference between the two is the presence of wheat. Soy sauce always contains wheat; tamari contains less wheat, if any, which makes it a good alternative for people with a gluten intolerance. Since not all tamari is gluten free, it is best to check the label to be safe. Many recipes that call for soy sauce will include a note to substitute tamari in its place to make the recipe gluten-free.

The differences in production give each sauce its own unique flavor. Tamari has a darker color and richer flavor than the common Chinese soy sauce you may be more familiar with. It also tastes more balanced and less salty than the sometimes harsh bite of soy sauce, which makes it great for dipping.

Regular soy sauce is essentially made by cooking soybeans with roasted wheat and other grains (almost a 50/50 ratio) and adding it to a salty brine to brew, then sit for a period of time to ferment. This mixture is then pressed to extract the dark, brown liquid.

Tamari on the other hand, is made a bit different. Tamari is actually a by product of miso production. Miso ages into a thick paste while the tamari is the liquid that gathers in the vat as miso ages or matures, sort of in the same way that whey runs off cheese as it is pressed. The word tamari is actually loosely translated as "puddle" since it puddles up during miso production! When the soybeans are cooked down to ferment, little to zero wheat is added to the mixture, which makes it a great alternative for those that have gluten intolerances.

When To Use Each

Since tamari is more complex and mellow than regular soy sauce, it is a better option for dipping and/or mixing with wasabi as an accompaniment to sushi. It also works well for making Teriyaki Sauce, both of which are Japanese dishes.

Which bottle should you pick up to add to your stir fry? You can look at it the same way as olive oil. If you have a very fruity and rich extra virgin olive oil, you're not going to use it as a frying oil since the complexity will just be lost when it is heated. So, when the sauce is going to be the star of the show, as for a dipping sauce for sushi or a quick and easy sauce for noodles, choose tamari. When you just need to add some salty flavor to a Chinese stir fry, reach for the bottle of soy sauce.