Also indexed as: Shoyu, Tamari
Soy sauce is often used in stir-fried dishes, or to prepare marinades for
meat or vegetables.
Soy sauce, usually called tamari or shoyu in Asian countries, is a salty condiment made by
fermenting soy beans mixed with grains in a salty brine.
Varieties
While true tamari or shoyu is an aged product, most of the commercial soy sauce sold in the
United States is a nonfermented synthetic product made from defatted soybean meal and grains mixed with chemicals. Real aged tamari or shoyu
has a different flavor than commercial, synthetic soy sauce. In Japan, synthetic soy sauce is
not recognized by the government, which allows five different types of soy sauce to be labeled
as shoyu. Among the synthetic brands, reduced-sodium soy sauce is available.
Buying and storing tips
Commercial soy sauce is readily available in grocery stores in the condiment aisle or Asian
food section. Tamari and shoyu are both sold in natural foods stores and in Asian markets,
sometimes in bulk. Store any type of soy sauce at room temperature for up to a year.
Availability
Soy sauce is available year-round.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Soy sauce is a condiment, used sparingly to flavor dishes. Use it in stir-fried dishes, or
to prepare marinades for meat or vegetables. It can also be used in place of salt in
soups and stews.
Nutritional Highlights
Soy sauce (made from soy and wheat), 1 Tbsp
(15mL)
Calories: 9.4
Protein: 1.25g
Carbohydrate: 1.26g
Total Fat: 0.006g
Fiber: 0.13g
Health benefits and concerns
Soy sauce is not a good source of
isoflavones (phytroestrogens). Isoflavones are compounds thought to be largely responsible
for many of the health benefits associated with eating soy. Therefore, eating soy sauce should
not be expected to contribute to the potential health benefits derived from eating other soy foods, such as miso,
tofu, and tempeh, which contain higher
levels of these compounds.
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