What Is Tamari And How Is It Different From Soy Sauce?

What is tamari?

Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce. It is generally considered to be less salty and richer than soy sauce, and like soy sauce, it is used for cooking, sauces and dressings and dipping. Again, like soy sauce, it is also made from fermented soybeans. 

How is it different to Chinese Soy Sauce?

While typically Chinese soy sauce is made from soybeans, water, yeast and wheat, Japanese soy sauce, aka tamari, does not use wheat in the fermenting process. This means that tamari is a gluten-free version of soy sauce, and can be swapped in accordingly in many recipes. 

Where to buy tamari

Tamari is great for those who are on a gluten-free diet, and it can luckily be found in major supermarkets. Kikkoman and Yutaka produce tamari sauce sold in Tesco and Sainsbury’s. They’re both also vegan.

Got any more questions? Let us know in the comments.