You may have seen a recipe calling for shoyu as an ingredient and wondered what it is. Here’s our round-up of the most common types of soy sauce on the market and how they differ.
The difference between soy sauce and shoyu
Japanese Soy Sauce/shoyu
Shoyu is the term broadly given to Japanese style soy sauces that are made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt and water. In general, they are quite thin and clear and are a good all-purpose cooking and table sauce.
Kikkoman soy sauce is the best-selling shoyu in the world. It has a complex natural brewing (fermentation) process – a special aspergillus mould is added to steamed soy beans and roasted wheat to produce a “koji” mash to which water and salt is added. This mixture called “moromi” is then left to naturally brew and develop in flavour and aroma over several months. After this time the moromi is slowly pressed and filtered to extract the raw soy sauce, then pasteurized to preserve the intense flavour and quality of the soy sauce. This is a much-simplified description, but the whole process is very involved and essential for producing Kikkoman’s unique umami-rich taste and over 300 different flavour profiles can be detected such as fruits, vanilla, coffee and whisky!
Chinese soy sauces
Other types of soy sauce such as Chinese soy sauce are very different in style to shoyu. These tend to be chemically produced or partially brewed using little or no wheat or yeast and come in light and dark varieties.
Where Japanese shoyu contains just 4 ingredients, you can expect to see a minimum of 11-12 ingredients in Chinese soy sauces. Dark Chinese soy sauces often have caramel colouring E150 added to them and are thicker in texture and can have a sweetish aftertaste, and the light Chinese soy sauces often have a higher salt content than Japanese shoyu. They also do not have the same level of translucence and can look a bit "muddy".
Kikkoman can be easily substituted for both light and dark soy sauces in recipes, whether in stir-fries, marinades, dipping sauces, dressings or as a universal seasoning in any type of dish.
Light vs dark soy sauce
As mentioned above Chinese soy sauce's come in two varieties that are very different to Japanese Shoyu. These are light and dark soy sauces, but what are the differences?
Light soy sauce, as well as being lighter in colour has a thinner texture and is typically saltier. You may often find light soy sauce used in Cantonese style cooking.
Dark soy sauce is a thicker and sweeter sauce than it's lighter alternative. This version of soy sauce is often used to coat meats and add colour to dishes.
Indonesian soy sauce
Kecap manis is an Indonesian style of soy sauce with added palm sugar molasses and other ingredients such as ginger, garlic, curry leaves etc. It is thick and syrupy and very different to other types of soy sauce.
Does Soy Sauce Contain Alcohol?
Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce contains <2% alcohol by volume. The alcohol is not added as an ingredient, but is a result of the natural fermentation process whereby the wheat starches are broken down to sugars and part of the sugar is changed into alcohol.
If you require a wheat-free soy sauce then you can use Kikkoman Tamari Gluten-free Soy Sauce. It is also certified halal by the Halal Feed And Food Inspection Authority (HFFIA) and their logo is on the bottle label.
Kikkoman also makes other soy sauces
- Kikkoman Tamari Gluten-free Soy Sauce is a wheat-free soy sauce which contains just soybeans, water, salt and spirit vinegar and can be enjoyed by those avoiding wheat or with coeliac disease. The absence of wheat means that no alcohol is produced as a fermentation by-product and therefore is also suitable for halal diets.
- Kikkoman Less Salt has 43% less salt than the original but doesn’t compromise on taste.
- Kikkoman Ponzu is a lemon seasoned soy sauce and has a delicate sweet-sharp taste. Try it sprinkled over fish and chips or as a salad dressing.
- Kikkoman Sweet Soy Sauce has added sugar and is great drizzled over rice or as a dip.
FAQs
Shoyu is simply the name for the Japanese-style soy sauce, which can be light (usukuchi) or dark (koikuchi).
Is shoyu sauce the same as soy sauce? ›
Shoyu is the term broadly given to Japanese style soy sauces that are made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt and water. In general, they are quite thin and clear and are a good all-purpose cooking and table sauce. Kikkoman soy sauce is the best-selling shoyu in the world.
Can shoyu be substituted for soy sauce? ›
Tamari, also called shoyu, is a fermented Japanese soy product. The difference between this and soy sauce is simple: Tamari is made without wheat. That's a #win for the gluten-free crowd. Tamari is probably the most straightforward soy sauce swap.
Why does Hawaii call soy sauce shoyu? ›
The name Aloha Shoyu was conceived to reflect our deeply rooted island heritage melded with our Japanese origin and to portray the company's core values. The word Shoyu originates from Japan and is a term widely accepted in Hawaii which refers to Soy Sauce.
What is shoyu sauce good for? ›
This gets us to the essential duality of shoyu: It is a cooking ingredient as well as a condiment. It figures into nearly every stew and simmering sauce (alongside its usual company of sugar, mirin and sake) but it also gives backbone to dipping sauces.
Does shoyu ramen taste like soy sauce? ›
As we've been talking about, Shoyu means soy sauce and this kind of ramen celebrates the salty, dark, and umami-rich tang of soy sauce. If you want to know more about the different kinds of ramen out there, you can check out our guide to the main kinds of ramen and their regional varieties right here.
Which are the three types of soy sauce? ›
There are five main categories of soy sauce: Koikuchi (dark soy sauce), Usukuchi (light soy sauce), Tamari (a thicker, richer sauce), Shiro Shoyu (white or very light), and Saishikomi (sweet soy sauce). Made from wheat and soybean, Koikuchi is the most commonly used soy sauce in Japanese cooking.
Is Kikkoman soy sauce Japanese or Chinese? ›
In Japan, the home of Kikkoman, chemically produced soy sauce is a taboo. The Japanese soy sauce, sometimes referred to as 'shoyu' generally has a lower salt content and includes roasted wheat in the recipe.
What is another name for shoyu? ›
What type of shoyu is Kikkoman? ›
Most major supermarket brands available in the US, like Kikkoman's All-Purpose Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce, don't indicate a type on the label, but they are koikuchi shoyu. Koikuchi shoyu is a good all-purpose choice; it can be used in marinades, sauces, gravies, braising liquids, and stir-fries.
In Japan, Shoyu is the Japanese name for a soy sauce made from a mash of soybeans and wheat; and tends to be used as an all-purpose cooking soy sauce. Tamari is a wheat free soy sauce made by drawing off the liquid content of soybean miso.
What do Spanish people call soy sauce? ›
salsa de soya (pronounced: SAHL-sah deh SOH-yah), which is the preferred spelling in most Latin American countries. salsa de soja (pronounced: SAHL-sah deh SOH-hah), which is the term used in Spain, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
Are Chinese and Japanese soy sauce the same? ›
The biggest difference between Chinese and Japanese soy sauce is that Japanese soy sauces are brewed with roasted wheat instead of wheat flour. Japanese soy sauce also uses a bit less salt and the final brew errs on the sweeter side.
Should you refrigerate shoyu sauce? ›
Once opened, the soy sauce will start to lose its freshness and the flavor will begin to change. By refrigerating the sauce, the flavor and quality will remain at their peak for a longer period.
Is shoyu or soy sauce better? ›
Shoyu and soy sauce are both popular condiments used in Asian cuisine, but they differ in flavor and usage. Shoyu has a sweeter and more complex taste due to its longer fermentation process, making it ideal for dipping sauces, sushi, and as a base for other condiments like teriyaki.
What is the #1 soy sauce in Japan? ›
Typical Japanese households stock just 1 or 2 types of soy sauce, unless they are really into cooking. The most widely used type by far is koikuchi (濃い口）soy sauce. Koikuchi literally means 'dark mouth'.
What is the closest sauce to soy sauce? ›
7 Soy Sauce Substitutes That Are As Good As the Real Thing
- Tamari.
- Coconut Aminos.
- Fish Sauce.
- Miso Paste.
- Balsamic Vinegar.
- Worcestershire Sauce.
- Oyster Sauce.
It has a very deep and strong umami flavor, is moderately salty, and has distinct sweet undertones. Usukuchi shoyu is a light soy sauce. It may be paler in color, but the taste is, if anything, more intense.
