Maybe this answer will surprise you: The a best Japanese soy sauce There is no such thing as an absolute. The choice depends on personal taste on the one hand, and on what the soy sauce is to be used for on the other.
In Europe, the brown soy sauces such as Kikkoman, called Koikuchi, are very well known. They are a kind of "all-rounder" and almost always fit. Since they contain wheat, some customers prefer the gluten-free so-called Tamari, which is made only from soybeans.
Tamari are very aromatic in taste and have the highest umami content of all soy sauces. Tamari sauces are therefore the right choice even for umami junkies!
For all customers who find the soy sauce flavor of the brown Koikuchi soy sauces too strong, we recommend the white soy sauces, called Shiro Shoyu. They have an even higher wheat content and are milder in taste, somewhat sweeter. An interesting comparison is to eat sushi once with a brown "normal" soy sauce and once with a white soy sauce.
In our opinion, the brown Koikuchi soy sauces are best suited for dishes with strong roasted flavors such as wok dishes, teriyaki, etc. The white soy sauces are particularly interesting when, as with sushi or sashimi, the goal is to subtly enhance the raw taste of the fish.
In all the mentioned categories of soy sauces, you can find both industrially produced sauces and artisanally crafted soy sauces. The artisanal art of brewing soy sauce is currently experiencing a renaissance in Japan. Particularly noteworthy are the multiple-fermented Saishikomi soy sauces, which are usually aged for several years in wooden barrels. The multiple fermentation and long aging times give these soy sauces a surprising complexity. A true experience for gourmets who want to discover something new!
Such high-quality, handcrafted soy sauces are usually not used for cooking, but rather as a so-called finishing sauce arranged on the plate at the very end.
In Japan, the preference for a soy sauce often also depends on its regional origin. The inhabitants of a region grow up with a certain flavor profile of a soy sauce and then prefer it over other variants. In southern Japan, for example, in Kyushu, are sweet soy sauces particularly popular.
Here you will find an overview of all soy sauces in our range.
