5 Best Japanese Soy Sauce 2022

Here are the best Japanese soy sauces for you to buy if you want to make an authentic Japanese dish or just use it as a delicious dip!

Soy sauce is one of the most integral parts of Japanese cooking. To make sure the Japanese dishes you are trying are authentic, you need to use just Japanese soy sauce, and not Chinese, Korean, or Thai soy sauce. 

Japanese soy sauce, when compared to other types of soy sauces, has quite a delicate flavor. Despite the delicateness in the taste, it still has quite a complex umami flavor. I always prefer to use Japanese soy sauces because it gives the best flavors and consistency. Believe me, once you start using this, you will know the difference right away.

Best Japanese Soy Sauce — Quick Summary

Best Japanese Soy Sauce	Key Feature	Why Should You Get It?
Koikuchi Shoyu	Rich umami flavor	High antioxidant potency
Usukuchi Shoyu	Salty with a hint of sweet flavor	Light textured sauce as compared to others
Tamari Shoyu	Rich taste of soybeans without wheat	A great alternative for people allergic to wheat
Saishikomi Shoyu	Less salt content	Uses ingredients that are free of toxins
Shiro Shoyu	Brewed for one year to bring out the rich umami flavor	Great for cooking as well as dipping

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Based on my usage and experiences, I have brought to you some of the best Japanese soy sauce that you must definitely give a try. Are you ready to add some magic to your Japanese dishes?

Top Japanese Soy Sauce

Koikuchi Shoyu

Best Japanese soy sauce for ramen

In the world of soy sauce, Yamasan soy sauce is one of the top known traditional soy sauces from Hyogo Prefecture. They provide products handled with precise methods and care while following authentic brewing methods and recipes. 

This soy sauce has been brewed for more than a year to bring out its rich flavor. This one is just a three-ingredient sauce: wheat, soy, and water, which is absolutely delicious and natural in taste as no chemicals or preservatives have been used during the production. 

In Japanese food culture, soy sauce plays an essential role and that being said, it becomes very important to choose the right one to make the dishes tastier. There is a subtle umami flavor in this sauce that you will definitely enjoy. 

I prefer using it with grilled and boiled food and also for seasoning. This sauce has been made in a perfect environment of the Seto Inland sea where the mild climate and the waters of the Ibo River mingle up to provide the best of all tastes. Regarding its aroma, it is enthralling as the steamed soybeans and roasted wheat cannot be ignored.

Pros:

• Naturally produced sauce 
• contains good health benefits
• High antioxidant potency

Usukuchi Shoyu

Kikkoman is one of the most famous brands of soy sauce. Usukuchi sauce is not an ordinary sauce but a completely different concept that is very versatile in nature. Other than just seasoning Asian cuisines, this soy sauce is also used for Western dishes and that is the reason, it is always in demand. 

In terms of the texture, it is thinner, lighter in color, and has less darkness to the flavor, with more salt content and a hint of sweetness because of the rice wine. I have tried different sauces and this one is my all-time favorite as it can be used for all-purpose seasoning.

I like to use this soy sauce with marinades and vegetables as it doesn’t stain the food deeply and you actually can taste its light flavor without overpowering the food. Alcohol has been used to preserve its freshness so you don’t have to worry about finishing it faster.

Also, other than using this while cooking, you can also use it as a dip for your snacks. I have tried this as a dipping sauce for my stir-fries and trust me, it tastes amazing.

Pros:

• Light textured sauce as compared to others
• naturally brewed soy sauce
• More salt content with a hint of sweetness
• Works well as a marinade

Tamari Shoyu

Tamari is a well-known brand that specializes in traditional soy sauce which is prepared with good quality soya beans and with hardly any wheat. Earlier, Tamari products were devoid of wheat and hence, the taste was more about the soya beans rather than wheat. In the market, you can still find soy sauces made without wheat and this is one of them. 

Talking about the flavor, it is strong and helps in making the dish taste perfect. There is a mild sweetness when you taste it and it just feels amazing. For better experiences, try this sauce with simmered dishes or simply as a dip for fried food to get that raw flavor. 

If you are looking for an original soy sauce then you must go for this alternative option as there is less wheat content.

Pros:

• A great alternative for people allergic to wheat
• Rich flavor

Saishikomi Shoyu

Best traditional Japanese soy sauce

Made with traditional brewing methods while also focusing on the quality of ingredients, this Saishikomi Shoyu soy sauce is one of the best options to have in your kitchen. The taste is absolutely delicious and complex because it goes through double brewing which helps in keeping the actual flavor of soybeans intact.

Instead of using water and salt, this soy sauce is made with regular koikochi sauce and is kept for two summers to let the process work. During this procedure, the saltiness of this sauce gets removed which brings out the real taste of soy sauce. 

I highly recommend this sauce for cooking meals and for pouring it on rice and meats. Since there is no salty flavor in it, I don’t use it for dipping. I have also tried this with mirin for marinated ramen eggs and I am quite impressed with how it turned out without overpowering the dish. 

Other than its flavor, this soy sauce is also known for its pure and toxin-free ingredients. Also, no preservatives or artificial flavors have been used in the preparation of this sauce. When compared to other soy sauces, this one is a far better choice to make as it will let you enjoy each and every flavor without pilling its own taste.

Pros:

• Less salt content helps in reducing blood pressure
• Does not overpower the dish
• Uses ingredients that are free of toxins

Kishibori Shoyu

Best Japanese soy sauce for sushi

Get this Kishibori Shoyo to enjoy the heavenly and delicious taste of soy sauce famous in Japan. It is a type of soy sauce that is made with high quality and toxin-free ingredients like soybeans, salt, water, and wheat. 

The mixture of all these is brewed for a period of 1 year in a traditional 100-year-old cider barrel. The process is slow which results in the production of extremely smooth and flavorful soy sauce. It tastes like umami, which is the delicacy of Japan as it is a blend of salty, sweet, sour, and bitterness that adds an amazing taste to the dishes. 

Adding it to your gravy is another best option as it will change the taste instantly. In this soy sauce, no alcohol additives, artificial flavors or preservatives have been used and so you can actually taste the original flavor. 

A soy sauce with less saltiness to it is what I have always wanted and trust me this one satisfied my palette. You must invest in this soy sauce to enjoy the beautiful flavor.

Pros:

• Brings out a rich umami flavor
• Smooth and flavorful
• Great for cooking as well as dipping
• No additives or preservatives
• Less saltiness

Add Some Flavors!

These were some of the best Japanese soy sauces that you can use to add some authentic Japanese flavors to your dish. Japanese soy sauces are so different from other variants that you get out there. The Japanese soy sauces are made of water, Koji, Soybeans, crushed wheat, and salt. You will also find that Japanese soy sauces do not contain corn syrups, artificial caramel, or hydrochloric acid. 

I love adding Japanese soy sauces to my dishes. It helps to add a distinctive and authentic flavor to the dishes that are enjoyed by everybody in my family. In fact, I have had guests complimenting me on my Japanese dishes. If you too are keen to enjoy this taste, do not forget to try out these Japanese soy sauces.