Tamari soy sauce is a type of shoyu, the Japanese word for “soy sauce.” The technique for making tamari is quite distinctive, yielding a complex, rich flavor which some people find very enjoyable. Many Asian markets stock tamari, and it can also be found at general stores which stock Asian ingredients. True tamari has a very dark color and an almost smoky flavor, and it can be used as a dip, marinade, or baste; it is also used as a component in other sauces and dips.

Tamari is made by collecting the liquid which drains from miso as it ages. Miso is a fermented soybean paste which is a major component in Japanese cooking; miso appears in soups, stocks, sauces, and a wide variety of other foods. It is also made with a range of grains, yielding an array of textures, flavors, and feels. In Japan, tamari soy sauce production is focused in the Chubu region, where it is also known as miso-damari.

In the West, there is a great deal of confusion surrounding tamari. This is because Japanese shoyus were originally introduced, marketed, and sold in the West as “tamari,” rather than being differentiated by type. As a result, a wide range of products were known by the “tamari” name when true tamari soy sauce was introduced. This has been especially problematic for the gluten intolerant, as tamari is naturally gluten free, but shoyu is not, since shoyu is traditionally fermented with wheat.

In fact, tamari soy sauce is distinct from other types of shoyu and soy sauces from other regions, and it cannot be interchanged with sauces like usukuchi shoyu or Indonesian kecap. Tamari is rich with a tangy flavor from the miso fermentation process, and it is one of the darkest forms of Japanese shoyu. Because there is a bit of confusion about shoyu labeling in the United States, people with gluten intolerance should read labels on tamari soy sauce carefully to ensure that it is true tamari, fermented without any gluten.

If food history is interesting to you, you may be intrigued to know that some food historians believe that tamari soy sauce is the original soy sauce. The recipe for tamari soy sauce most closely mimics the soy sauce production technique imported from China to Japan, and Chinese soy sauces continue to be made with similar recipes, incorporating minimal grains other than soybeans.