Tamari: The Healthy Soy Sauce

Tamari is a traditional Japanese soy sauce that is considered a healthy alternative to conventional soy sauce. You can find out here whether it is actually healthier and how to use tamari in the kitchen.

Tamari: The origin of soy sauce

Tamari is a fermented soybean sauce. The sauce is said to be the origin of all soy sauces. It was discovered during the production of miso in China – because tamari is a by-product of the maturing process of the spicy paste.

Centuries ago, tamari made its way to Japan from China, where it became an important part of the food culture. Today the sauce is therefore considered typically Japanese. Although Tamari is also known in other Asian countries, it is less important there than in Japan.

How does tamari taste?

Tamari is characterized by an intensely spicy and strong taste: it combines sweet, sour, bitter, and salty aromas. In addition, the aroma is also described as “umami”, which means a hearty, spicy, sometimes meat-like taste.

What is the difference between soy sauce, shoyu and tamari?

In the supermarket, some soy sauces say shoyu, others say tamari, and others just say soy sauce. What is the difference between these three designations?

Shoyu and Tamari are sauces from Japanese cuisine:

Shoyu is the Japanese word for soy sauce. There are many different shoyu sauces in Japan, e.g. B. Koikuchi, Usukuchi, Shiro, and Saishikomi. Only in Japan are soy sauces consistently called shoyu.

Soy sauce: In the German language (and in many other countries) – unlike in Japan – tamari is also referred to as soy sauce. So don’t be surprised if in this article we use the term “soy sauce” as an umbrella term for tamari and shoyu and all other soy sauces.

Although tamari is considered to be the origin of soy sauce, it is not actually counted among the soy sauces in Japan, since it is traditionally produced during miso production and shoyu is not. Shoyu came later when wheat was added to the traditional base ingredients for miso and tamari.

The main differences between shoyu and tamari are as follows:

• Ingredients: Shoju is made from soybeans, koji, water, salt, and wheat. Traditionally, tamari does not contain wheat.
• Color: The wheat makes shoyu a little lighter, while tamari is characterized by its dark brown to black color.
• Taste: Due to the wheat, shoyu tastes a little sweeter than tamari.

What is the difference between Japanese and Chinese soy sauces?

Chinese and Japanese soy sauces are mainly sold in Europe. Chinese soy sauces traditionally contain little or no wheat, which is why they are more similar to tamari than Japanese soy sauces (shoyu). On the other hand, they often have a higher salt content, which is why they can sometimes taste spicier than tamari and shoyu.

The Making of Tamari

Tamari isn’t made much the same way it used to be. Below we explain the differences between traditional and modern tamari production.

The traditional production of tamari

Since tamari is created during the traditional production of miso, the production of the two condiments is almost identical. Both are made by fermentation. This is an ancient method of preserving food:

• In the first step, steamed soybeans are mixed with koji. Koji is steamed rice coated with the mold Aspergillus oryzae. This mold starts the fermentation of the soybeans. The soybean and koji mixture needs to sit for three days.
• In the second step, water and salt are added and the mixture is transferred to 100-year-old cedar barrels. Their wood aromas, which have been shaped by a hundred years of miso and tamari production, ultimately influence the taste of the sauce. The addition of salt means that no microorganisms can settle, which would lead to the spoilage of the soybeans. Instead, the lactic acid bacteria that are responsible for further fermentation of the soybean mass survive.
• The mixture is now fermented in the cedar wood barrels for at least 18 months and for up to 4 years. The long fermentation time creates a tart aroma. At the end of the fermentation, the mass has turned into a thick paste. This is pressed through cloths and the liquid is collected in a barrel: the liquid is tamari, and the pressed paste is miso.

However, it must be mentioned that this process is described in a greatly simplified manner. Like making miso, it’s almost an art – a craft passed down from generation to generation where the smallest of adjustments can result in huge differences in taste.

For example, it plays a role in the bacterial composition at what time of year production begins, how old the wood of the barrels is, how long the mixture ferments, how fresh the ingredients are, what water is used, and so on and so forth.

The Making of Shoyu

Shoyu and other soy sauces are made in a very similar way: Shoyu, for example, uses additional roasted wheat in the first step and does not end up with miso. The pressed paste is said to have served as animal feed instead.

Of course, there is not only ONE Shoyu, but very different types, which are also called differently and often only due to minimal differences in the manufacturing process, e.g. B. caused by a changed ratio of wheat and soybeans. Such small differences also exist for Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, and many other soy sauces.

The modern production of tamari

There are a few differences in the modern production of tamari compared to the traditional production method described above:

• Wooden barrels are no longer used in industrial production, but large steel barrels or fermentation tanks to ensure sterile conditions. Only 0.1 percent of all tamari producers in Japan still use wooden barrels.
• Miso and tamari are made separately: Otherwise, you probably couldn’t ensure that both products taste exactly the way you want them to. In this case, other ingredients can be used for miso, such as barley, quinoa, or amaranth. These are not traditionally a part of tamari.
• In the meantime, however, tamari can also be bought with a low proportion of wheat or barley (max. 20%), since wheat and barley drive the fermentation with koji.
• The fermentation time is sometimes reduced to 3 to 6 months or there is no fermentation at all.
• The sauces are usually pasteurized to make them durable.

Shoyu and other soy sauces are also rarely made in the traditional way. Inferior quality products also use colorings, sugars, and flavor enhancers such as glutamate to achieve the desired texture, color, and aroma, all of which would occur naturally during fermentation. However, this is rarely the case with Shoyu and Tamari. We explained in detail what glutamate in soy products is all about in our article on miso.

Where can you buy Tamari?

You can get Tamari in well-stocked supermarkets, in Asian shops, or in online shops. It usually costs a few dollars more than shoyu and other soy sauces, as there are far fewer producers of tamari than shoyu in Japan. Originally, tamari was only made in one region of Japan – Aichi Prefecture. Soy sauces, on the other hand, can come from many different Asian countries.

What should you look out for when buying Tamari?

When purchasing, be sure to select a sauce that says “naturally brewed” or “naturally fermented.” These products come closest to the traditional way of production and are made by fermentation. Since traditional production is a quality feature, it is advertised on the product.

Also, look for organic quality to make sure the soybeans have not been treated with pesticides.

Also, only soybeans, water, salt, rice, and Aspergillus oryzae should appear in the list of ingredients. Ingredients such as sugar, coloring (e.g. caramel) and flavor enhancers such as glutamate (sometimes referred to as yeast extract) indicate that the fermentation time was shortened as described in the previous paragraph or that the sauce was made without fermentation at all.

So you should NOT buy a soy sauce with the following composition:

Saltwater (salt, water), soy sauce, 32% (water, salt, soybeans, 25%, wheat flour), water, sugar, flavor enhancer: monosodium glutamate E621, flavor enhancer: disodium inosinate E631, flavor enhancer: disodium guanylate E627, preservative: sodium benzoate E211, coloring: Ammonia caramel E150c, aroma

How is tamari used?

In Japanese cuisine, tamari is mainly used for dishes with cooked or raw fish such as sashimi (sushi without rice and side dishes). It is also suitable for rice, pasta, tofu and vegetable dishes, broths, dips, sauces such as teriyaki (sweet, spicy sauce), and marinades. You can cook it or use it raw. The sauce should be used sparingly so that the aroma does not become too dominant.

Tamari and soy sauce should also not be used 1:1 in recipes, because depending on which soy sauce you use, it will taste more subtle or more intense than tamari. So use smaller amounts of tamari if the recipe calls for soy sauce – you can always add more seasoning.

How long does tamari keep?

Tamari, shoyu, and soy sauces can be kept for around 1.5 to 3 years – if they have been pasteurized, as is usually the case. Pasteurization ensures that the microorganisms involved in fermentation are inactivated – otherwise the taste and color of the sauce would develop over time, which is undesirable. The consumer wants to buy an identical product with every purchase and not one that tastes different at home.

Traditionally produced high-quality soy sauces, on the other hand, can be kept forever, but under certain circumstances, they can continue to ripen at home, which can change the taste.

What can you use instead of tamari?

You can also use shoyu instead of tamari if you don’t have the former handy. Then you need a little more shoyu as it is milder than tamari. Sauces that say just “soy sauce” on the label can taste mild or very spicy, so it’s hard to say how much of a tamari sauce these sauces are equivalent to. Dose sparingly first and then season as needed.

Is Soy Sauce Unhealthy?

Soy sauces have a reputation for being unhealthy. There are several reasons for this: they are high in salt and, as you saw above, can also contain many additives such as flavor enhancers (glutamate), coloring, and sugar (unless they are naturally brewed).

How healthy is tamari?

Naturally brewed tamari, on the other hand, is considered a healthy alternative to conventional soy sauces, as it is said to contain less salt, is free of unwanted ingredients, and also – which is important for people with celiac disease – is usually free of gluten (on the topic of gluten see below under “Is tamari gluten free?”). Below we take a closer look at the health properties of the condiment sauce.

The nutritional values, vitamins, and minerals

In our table under the previous link, you will find the nutritional values, vitamins, and minerals of 1 tablespoon of tamari. Since only a few tablespoons are used per dish, the sauce can of course only contribute a little to covering the daily requirement. As a seasoning, tamari is not there to cover the need for nutrients and vital substances. With a protein content of 10.5 g per 100 ml, it is at least theoretically a protein-rich food.