Made from fermented soybeans, soy sauce adds a salty, funky kick to any dish--from fried rice and chicken to soups and pasta dishes. There are many different soy sauce varieties to choose from however, with varying hues, flavors, salt contents, and viscosities.
We’re comparing as many as we could find in a side by side taste test and naming the best soy sauce in each of 8 different categories. Whether you cook a lot of meals at home or are often in need of a way to jazz up your takeout, no kitchen pantry is complete without a bottle of soy sauce!
Table of Contents
Products We Tested
We taste tested the following 16 brands and varieties:
- 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Shoyu Soy Sauce
- Aloha Original Blend Soy Sauce
- Bluegrass Handcrafted Soy Sauce
- ‘Healthy Boy’ Brand Thai Sweet Soy Sauce
- Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce
- Kikkoman Soy Sauce
- La Choy Soy Sauce
- Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce
- Market Pantry Less Sodium Soy Sauce
- Momofuku Soy Sauce
- Pearl River Bridge Superior Light Soy Sauce
- San-J Organic Tamari Brewed Soy Sauce
- Sempio Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
- Soeos Organic Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
- Taste of Inspirations Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- Yamasa Reduced Sodium Artisanal Shoyu Soy Sauce
How We Tested
Our aim for this taste test and review was to select a Best Soy Sauce in each of the following categories:
- Best Japanese-Style
- Best Chinese-Style
- Best Korean-Style
- Best Sweet
- Best Small Batch
- Best Gluten Free
- Best Reduced Sodium
- Best Specialty
We first tasted a few drops of each soy sauce on its own, which allowed us to more clearly detect subtle differences in aroma, flavor, and texture. We started with the low sodium and light varieties before moving on to the dark soy sauces and uniquely brewed options.
To wrap up our taste test, we applied a few dashes of each variety to a scoop of warm white rice, thereby allowing the flavor of each sauce to fully bloom.
After all evaluations were complete, we graded each soy sauce according to the following 4 criteria:
- Taste & Texture: looking at flavor notes and overall consistency of each product.
- Value: price per fluid ounce.
- Ingredients: considering the quantity and quality of ingredients in each product as well as nutrition content.
- Production: taking into account factors of manufacture, distribution, availability, sustainability, and packaging.
Best Japanese-Style
Kikkoman Soy Sauce
Overall Rank: 4.9 / 5.0
Taste & Texture: 5.0 / 5.0
As compared to other Japanese style sauces, we found this Kikkoman soy sauce to offer more funk and complexity, all while delivering the classic soy sauce experience we know, love, and have come to expect!
It has a beautiful translucent, reddish-brown coloring and middle of the road viscosity--not thick and syrupy yet certainly not thin and watery either.
Value: 5.0 / 5.0
This big brand name is thankfully one of the less expensive options of those we tested, coming in at just $0.25 per fl. oz, as compared to the across the board average of $0.77.
Ingredients: 4.7 / 5.0
It takes nothing more than water, soybeans, wheat, salt--and plenty of time!--to make a batch of Kikkoman soy sauce. There are no preservatives or GMOs in this product.
Production: 5.0 / 5.0
Between their top scoring soy sauce here as well as a top spot in our Best Teriyaki Sauce review, it’s clear the folks at Kikkoman just know what they’re doing! This soy sauce is their original product and today it is still brewed slowly and traditionally, as it has been for centuries.
Why We Picked It:
Kikkoman’s soy sauce strikes us as classic Japanese soy sauce at its finest. It has a deep yet versatile flavor profile, is readily available and affordable, and is brewed according to the same standards and traditions upheld for hundreds of years.
What We Didn’t Like:
Nothing! Our tasting panel passed this one with flying colors.
Where to Buy: Target, Amazon, Walmart, ShopRite, Kroger, Safeway, BJ’s Club, and more
Best Chinese-Style
Pearl River Bridge Superior Light Soy Sauce
Overall Rank: 4.4 / 5.0
Taste & Texture: 4.3 / 5.0
This option from Pearl River Bridge is our favorite representation of Chinese style light soy sauce. It has a vinegary sharpness with plenty of salt and tang, but also has a rather thin, watery consistency. We think this is a great pick for cooking with, but probably not the best option for dipping and finishing.
Value: 4.3 / 5.0
This soy sauce is on the more expensive end of average, costing $0.83 per ounce.
Ingredients: 4.3 / 5.0
In addition to the base 4 ingredients of water, soybeans, salt, and wheat flour, this variety also contains potassium sorbate as a preservative whereas options like Soeos’ soy sauce are completely preservative free.
Also, this light soy sauce happens to be one of the heaviest in sodium, with 1240 mg--equivalent to 54% your DV.
Production: 4.5 / 5.0
Unfortunately this option is not the most readily available and the bottle we did manage to score is a large 16.9-ounce version which we can’t see being able to use up anytime soon.
Why We Picked It:
Pearl River Bridge’s soy sauce packs a punch of acidic tang and salty umami by way of the traditional Chinese style brewing method which involves a shorter time frame and different wheat ingredients. The price point is more than reasonable too!
What We Didn’t Like:
This soy sauce has one of the highest per-serving sodium contents we encountered and texture-wise, is a bit thinner than our tasting panel preferred. It also is limited in terms of distribution and bottle size.
Where to Buy: Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, and some independent grocers
Best Korean-Style
Sempio Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
Overall Rank: 4.6 / 5.0
Taste & Texture: 4.5 / 5.0
Sempio’s soy sauce is definitely sweeter than either of our top picks for Japanese and Chinese style soy sauces. It also has a stronger fermented, almost fish-sauce like flavor and aroma. That said, its sweetness is balanced and subtle.
Value: 4.7 / 5.0
This happens to be one of the most economical options, costing just $0.41 per ounce.
Ingredients: 4.5 / 5.0
This variety has some added ingredients to make note of. There is high fructose corn syrup as well as the artificial sweetener sucralose, plus licorice extract for its sweetening power as well. It is free from GMO ingredients though.
Production: 4.6 / 5.0
As stated on the label, Sempio is the #1 Korean soy sauce which is naturally brewed for 6 months! While we thought the 16+ ounce bottle of soy sauce from Pearl River Bridge was large, this one tips the scales at 29-ounces, which seems more like a restaurant supply size to us and is not very well suited to home use.
Why We Picked It:
This option from Sempio is a standout among Korean soy sauces, offering a nicely balanced sweet yet funky flavor profile. It is one of the cheapest options we found and is made by way of an extensive and time-tested brewing process.
What We Didn’t Like:
There’s several different sweeteners in the mix here, including an artificial one which some may prefer to avoid. And, there doesn’t seem to be many places to buy this soy sauce, so try your luck on Amazon but beware, you may end up with a giant bottle like we did!
Where to Buy: Amazon, and some independent grocers
Best Sweet
Healthy Boy Brand Thai Sweet Soy Sauce
Overall Rank: 4.2 / 5.0
Taste & Texture: 3.9 / 5.0
This pick from Healthy Boy Brand is what’s known as kecap manis, or Indonesian sweet soy sauce. It is very sweet and syrupy, not very salty and minimally funky.
In terms of consistency, this sauce is very thick, bordering on molasses-like! Between its viscosity and sweet taste, we think this is a great pick for dipping, glazing, and finishing.
Value: 4.5 / 5.0
At $0.67 per ounce, the price point of this option is about average.
Ingredients: 4.1 / 5.0
It’s no surprise that the ingredients panel on this soy sauce features far more sweet than salty ingredients--it’s made from sugar, water, brown sugar, glucose syrup, and soy sauce.
It is the highest calorie sauce we tested at 60 per serving as well as has the highest sugar content of 13 g per serving. On the plus side, its sodium content is super low--just 280 mg per serving as compared to the average of 850!
Production: 4.3 / 5.0
Healthy Boy Brand is Thailand’s #1 seasoning brand and we really liked the packaging of this option too, as the slim bottle is easy to handle and pour from while the flip cap does a good job controlling the flow.
Why We Picked It:
This sweet soy sauce is a great alternative to the traditionally salty, funky varieties. Its texture and taste make it useful as a dip or cooking ingredient, and we can also see it forming the base of other sauces. It is low in sodium and conveniently packaged.
What We Didn’t Like:
The higher sugar content also makes for a high calorie content and while we our tasting panel loved the flavor and richness of this option, it does lose some points for versatility as it is pretty far off base from what you’d expect from a soy sauce.
Where to Buy: Amazon, some independent and specialty grocers
Best Small Batch
Bluegrass Handcrafted Soy Sauce
Overall Rank: 4.7 / 5.0
Taste & Texture: 5.0 / 5.0
When evaluating the specialty and premium soy sauces we had picked up, this option from Bluegrass caught our attention straight away. We love the smoky, oaky flavor and the fact that the salt content is kept to a medium--thereby allowing the deep and complex flavors to truly shine.
Value: 4.0 / 5.0
This soy sauce is truly something special, and it truly has a price point to match. This wee little 3.3-ounce bottle costs an incredible $14.00!
Ingredients: 5.0 / 5.0
The ingredients here are of the utmost high quality. Bluegrass uses only non-GMO soybeans that are grown in their home state of Kentucky, as well as limestone filtered spring water.
Production: 4.8 / 5.0
As for the production, this soy sauce is created in the the sole small batch soy sauce brewery in the US! Once mixed, the soy sauce is fermented and aged in bourbon barrels, hence the smoky, honeyed, and ultra fragrant appeal of this liquid gold. Though the bottle is small, we love the miniature flask shape and antiqued labeling which gives all of the small batch, handcrafted vibes we love so much.
Why We Picked It:
This soy sauce is so delicious and special--from the unique flavor to the extensive aging process and inviting packaging, we love almost everything about it! It adds unbeatable flavor to rice and would be excellent for dipping sushi or dumplings as well.
What We Didn’t Like:
The high price tag here is tough to swallow. At $4.19 per ounce, this soy sauce is more than 5x as expensive as our average.
Where to Buy: Amazon, Bourbon Barrel Foods website, and some specialty shops
Best Gluten Free
San-J Organic Tamari Brewed Soy Sauce
Overall Rank: 4.9 / 5.0
Taste & Texture: 5.0 / 5.0
Unlike typical soy sauce, San-J’s tamari soy sauce is all soy and no wheat, which is not only helpful to gluten-sensitive folks but renders this soy sauce even more umami-rich!
Our tasting panel referred to this option as “nutty” and “roasty”, as it bears a more complex flavor as compared to varieties like Pearl River Bridge. This soy sauce is beautifully dark in color and will add a ton of flavor, whether used as a condiment or in recipes like our Balsamic Soy Roasted Mushrooms.
Value: 4.8 / 5.0
This soy sauce runs on the less expensive end of average, at just $0.58 per ounce.
Ingredients: 5.0 / 5.0
As mentioned above, this soy sauce is made from soy and no wheat. It also has some micronutrient benefits! According to the label, it contains 18 amino acids--including the 9 essentials--plus each serving provides a bit of iron and potassium.
Production: 4.8 / 5.0
This soy sauce comes with a slew of impressive certifications including: USDA certified organic, non GMO project verified, certified gluten free, certified vegan, and is a fodmap friendly approved food product. We love that this is a readily available soy sauce brand that is still doing things the old fashioned way. Our only issue with the packaging: it comes out of that pour spout so fast!
Why We Picked It:
In addition to being an excellent gluten-free soy sauce option, we found the flavor of this one to be rich and craveable, offering plenty of bold umami and a subtle nuttiness. The price point is excellent and the soy sauce contains some important micronutrients. Plus, this brand is typically carried by most major grocery stores.
What We Didn’t Like:
The pour spout is not well controlled. We were surprised by how quickly it flowed out into our little dish, so we recommend getting used to it first before dousing your rice!
Where to Buy: Whole Foods, Target, Amazon, Sprouts, Stop & Shop, and more
Best Reduced Sodium
Market Pantry Less Sodium Soy Sauce
Overall Rank: 4.4 / 5.0
Taste & Texture: 4.1 / 5.0
For being a lower sodium soy sauce, this option from Target’s private line Market Pantry still packs a super savory punch! It has the same umami characteristic but is certainly not as flavorful or complex as other options we tasted.
Therefore we consider this a great choice for using as a cooking ingredient in dishes like our Buddha Bowl, as it will get the job done while keeping the total sodium content way down.
Value: 4.7 / 5.0
This is the cheapest soy sauce option we found, coming in at just $0.11 per ounce. It is, however, lower quality so we didn’t award it maximum points in value here.
Ingredients: 4.4 / 5.0
As compared to regular soy sauce, reduced sodium soy sauce tends to have about half the amount of sodium. Market Pantry’s version is the lowest across the board, at just 480 mg per serving!
Production: 4.5 / 5.0
As Target’s store brand, you’ll only be able to find this option at one of their stores or via their website.
Why We Picked It:
If you’re looking for a less salty soy sauce, this is your best pick! It has just 480 mg of sodium per serving (about half the average) while still tasting plenty savory and tangy. It also features the lowest price tag of all soy sauces we found.
What We Didn’t Like:
There is not nearly as much depth to the flavor of this one, so it’s best used as a cooking ingredient as opposed to a topping or finishing sauce. This item is also limited in terms of availability--you’ll only find it at Target stores.
Where to Buy: Target
Best Specialty
Momofuku Soy Sauce
Overall Rank: 4.7 / 5.0
Taste & Texture: 5.0 / 5.0
At first glance, this option from Momofuku may look like a traditional dark soy sauce but in fact, there is a lot of uniqueness here. This is restaurant-grade soy sauce which is the result of ten years of R&D by acclaimed Chef David Chang and his team.
It is perfectly savory and viscous, but the real treat is the briny, vegetal flavor brought on by the addition of kombu seaweed. We recently served some of this atop warm bowls of coconut milk chicken & rice with steamed bok choy and were blown away by the flavor it added to the meal!
Value: 4.3 / 5.0
This one is nowhere near as expensive as the out-of-the-ballpark Bluegrass soy sauce, but is still quite expensive. The 8-ounce bottle cost us over $10.00!
Ingredients: 4.8 / 5.0
The ingredients list is nice and clean on this product, consisting of water, soybeans, wheat, salt, alcohol (which all soy sauce contains a bit of), and kombu.
It does have a higher than average sodium content though, with 1010 mg per serving.
Production: 4.8 / 5.0
This option from the team behind the beloved Momofuku Noodle Bar comes in the cutest little bottle which has a scannable QR code that brings you to a treasure trove of Momofuku recipes. On the downside, as a specialty product, this option is not available in too many stores yet.
Why We Picked It:
This pick was our favorite of the premium soy sauces we tested. It has a completely delicious base flavor, made even tastier by the addition of umami-rich kombu seaweed. It has a simple list of high quality ingredients and brings a restaurant level experience to your home kitchen!
What We Didn’t Like:
This soy sauce is expensive and relatively high in the sodium department. Also, as a new product it’s only available so far at Whole Foods, Amazon, and a few other grocery stores.
Where to Buy: Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, and some independent grocers
FAQs
What is the Difference Between Japanese and Chinese Soy Sauces?
Japanese soy sauce is typically brewed for months whereas the brewing process for Chinese soy sauce is much shorter, often just a few weeks. As a result, Japanese style (also known as shoyu) soy sauce tends to be funkier, more complex, and less salty as compared to Chinese style soy sauce which is more straightforwardly salty and crisp.
What is the Difference Between Light Soy Sauce and Dark Soy Sauce?
It all depends! Generally speaking, dark soy sauce tends to be richer, saltier, and thicker as compared to light soy sauce. However, there are certainly some brands and varieties for which the opposite is true. Your best bet is always to check the label for differences in ingredients.
Which Soy Sauce is Best for Dipping?
For dipping, we prefer Japanese soy sauces for their rich flavor. Our favorite dipping sauces from our taste test were the options from Momofuku, Bluegrass, and Whole Foods’ store branded shoyu soy sauce.
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