3 Best Japanese Soy Sauce

If you love cooking as I do, you must have tried recipes that require you to use soy sauce to add taste, especially Japanese dishes.

If you are trying authentic Japanese dishes, you must ensure that the soy sauce is Japanese for its delicate flavour.

I always use Japanese soy sauce when cooking Japanese food because of its flavours and consistency.

Below are the top 3 best Japanese soy sauces from my experience.

1. Koikuchi Shoyu

This soysauce from Yamasan is made of soy, wheat and water.

There are no chemicals or preservatives used and it is brewed for a year to bring out its rich flavour.

Key specifications

• Weight: 360 grams

• Brand: Chaganju

• Flavour: Deepen 1 Bottle

Key features

• Less salt content

• Brewed for one year for a Rich umami flavour

Pros

• Naturally produced

• Offers health benefits

• High antioxidant potency

Cons

• Quite pricey

Why is this soy sauce on the list?

Thanks to its use of natural ingredients, this soy sauce is free of toxins, and therefore a good pick for people who value food safety.

Usukuchi Shoyu

Kikkoman is a renowned Japanese soy sauce manufacturer, and the Usukuchi is a perfect choice for anyone looking for a lighter soy sauce that will not stain the food too much.

Key specifications

• Package weight: 3.66 kilograms

• Brand: Kikkoman

• ingredients: Salt, water, wheat, rice, soy beans, high fructose corn syrup, alcohol to preserve freshness

Key features

• Light coloured soy sauce

• Great for delicate dishes

• Mild flavour

Pros

• Light textured compare to other sauces

• Works well as a marinade

• Naturally brewed

Cons

• Has a short shelf life

Why is this soy sauce on the list?

I chose this soy sauce because it has a thinner texture and lighter colour, plus you can use it for Western dishes.

Tamari Shoyu

Thanks to its mild sweetness and strong flavour, this is the soy sauce to buy if you want the food to taste perfect.

Key specifications

• Flavour: TAMARI

• Brand: Hama Shoyu

• Package weight: 0.66 Kilograms

Key features

• Less wheat content

Pros

• Good alternative for people allergic to wheat

• Rich flavour

Cons

• High possibility of damage in transit due to poorly protected packaging

Why is this soy sauce on the list?

This soy sauce has a rich flavour of less wheat, plus it can be a good alternative for people allergic to wheat.

Bestseller No. 1

KISHIBORI SHOYU 12.2 fl oz(360ml). Pure artisan Japanese soy sauce. All natural barrel aged 1 year unadulterated and without preservatives

• Artisan Soy Sauce - Kishibori is a Japanese premium soy sauce imported from Japan
• Kishibori Shoyu is fermented in 100-year old barrels on a small island in Japan's inland sea
• Experience the difference in flavor in our soy sauce. Full flavor and great addition to any food
• Smooth and balanced taste - Kishibori Soy has a milder fuller flavor than most soy sauce

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Bestseller No. 2

Kikkoman Japan Made Soy Sauce, 33.8 Ounce

• Product Type:Sauce
• Item Package Dimension:7.797 cm L X7.899 cm W X26.797 cm H
• Item Package Weight:1.202 kg
• Country Of Origin: United States

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Bestseller No. 3

Yamaroku Shoyu Pure Artisan Dark Sweet Japanese Premium Gourmet Barrel Aged 4 Year Soy Sauce "Tsuru Bisiho", 18oz (532ml) (18oz, 1)… (1 Pack)

• Put down the generic soy sauce and experience the real deal. Brewed and aged for 4 years using ancient methods. Using 100 year old Kioke wooden barrels
• This is your original Asian umami gourmet soy sauce with simple ingredients of soy beans, wheat, salt and water. No added preservatives, artificial coloring, Fillers. This is the purest sweet and salty Shout soy sauce in the market.
• Tsurubishio is the flagship series of soy sauce for Yamaroku and is aged the longest between 3-5 years. Served in an easy to open soy sauce dispenser glass container bottle.
• Tsurubishio is characterized as having a rich mellow flavor and is recommended for use in sushi, sashimi, tofu, grilled fish and as a secret ingredient for original dishes. Use it as an ingredient to make Ponzu and Teriyaki sauce or in ramen bowls
• The flavor of tsuru bishio is best described as having a deep, full rounded flavor containing a balanced taste of umami. Unique use with vanilla Ice cream gives it a caramel flavor.

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Bestseller No. 4

[Product of Japan] Luxury Artisanal White Tamari Shiro Shoyu (Soy Sauce) Wheat Brewed Soy Sauce - 300 ML

• Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce that is made by fermenting soybeans. It is popular and known as one of the five types of Japanese soy sauce known as Shoyu.
• In stark contrast to "dark" soy sauce, white tamari is made up of only wheat, salt and water. This product is essentially a white soy sauce, which traditionally is mostly wheat and a little bit of soy bean.
• When you ferment soy beans they become dark, so the more you have the darker the brew. Ninagawa-san made his brew with 100% wheat, so the Japanese government told him he can not call it "soy sauce". So he playfully calls it "white tamari". Nitto Jozo uses locally grown wheat, Japanese sea salt, mountain spring water and koji to make their shiro tamari.
• The nose is strong malty, with koji and white miso notes, which perfectly highlights it's sweet, salty and strong umami flavor. It is used to highlight ingredients in a dish, vinaigrettes, sauces, etc. Refrigerate after opening.
• Ingredients: water, wheat, sea salt, rice wine spirit

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Bestseller No. 5

Premium Light Soy Sauce 16.9 FL Oz/ 500ml Bottle, Tamari Lite Soy Dipping Sauces for Fish, Dumpling, Noodles, and Marinade Meat, Perfect Condiment for Japanese Sushi, Sashimi, Asian Stir Fry, Vegan Non-GMO No Preservatives

• Contains Soybean and Wheat, 100% natural, pure ingredients: water, soybean, wheat, salt, caramel; no additives or preservatives, fillers free, vegan, Non GMO
• Packed in a glass bottle for optimal quality soy sauce
• Light tamari soy sauce with 16.9 Fl Oz/ 500ml bottle, dipping sauce for dumpling, noodles, Kimbap and beyond
• Lite soy sauce to marinade meat, fish, and seafood and more
• Add flavors and colors to Asian cuisines like Chinese braised pork, sashimi, tofu, Japanese sushi, and stir fry

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So What’s The Best Japanese soy sauce?

“So, what is the Japanese soy sauce?

Here are my top 3 picks:

• Tamari Shoyu

• Usukichi Shoyu

• Koikuchi Shoyu

If I had to pick just 1, it would be Usukuchi Shoyu because it has a lighter colour, meaning it does not stain the food too much.