Dark Soy Sauce vs. Soy Sauce: What’s the Difference?

Soy sauce is a thin type of sauce that consists of fermented soybeans, wheat, salt, and types of fungus. It’s notable for its caramel color and umami taste (a savory or salty flavor) with hints of sweetness. Although it initially came to prominence in Chinese cooking centuries ago, it’s become a fixture of Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Thai cuisine as well.

Chinese soy sauce often comes with a lot of sodium due to its saltiness acting as a preservative, but low-sodium soy sauce options are available. You might see labels that refer to it as light soy sauce to distinguish it from its dark counterpart. People use light soy sauce as a seasoning or dipping sauce for a wide array of dishes.

Dark soy sauce (or black soy sauce) is a thick soy sauce with a dark color and sweeter taste than ordinary soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is more commonly a marinade or glaze rather than a dipping sauce, since it’s much more viscous than regular soy sauce.

Light and dark soy sauce both have their places in cuisine, capable of adding a savory, salty flavor to dishes. However, there are nuances between the two sauces. Keep these four distinctions in mind as you decide which to use in any given recipe:

1. 1. Fermentation process: Both light and dark soy sauce consist of a fermented, ground-up paste of soybeans, wheat, salt, and other ingredients. As the paste ferments, it releases liquid amino acids and bacterial cultures. Eventually, manufacturers press the sauce out from the paste. However, dark soy sauce ferments for longer, partially influencing its taste, dark shade, and viscosity.
2. 2. Taste: Perhaps the main difference between light and dark soy sauce is the taste: The former is saltier, and the latter is much sweeter. Saltiness is a natural byproduct of soy sauce’s basic ingredients. Dark soy sauce is likely to be sweeter, thanks to the additions of agents like palm sugar molasses and dark brown sugar.
3. 3. Thickness: Regular (or light) soy sauce is thin and watery, but a premium dark soy sauce is much thicker and more viscous. This results from the longer fermentation process and the addition of other ingredients makers use to sweeten the sauce.
4. 4. Uses: While you can technically use either type of soy sauce for any recipe, light and dark soy sauce work best in different scenarios. For instance, light soy sauce serves to flavor Chinese recipes like Cantonese fried noodles and fried rice in a wok, while dark soy sauce is better for braising and marinating stews. The soup-like consistency of light soy sauce makes it more suitable as a dipping sauce or seasoning, while the thickness of dark soy sauce suggests a glaze.

If you want to avoid soy sauce or the condiment is missing from your pantry, there are some alternatives to light and dark soy sauce that you can consider. Here are five potential substitutes for soy sauce:

1. 1. Balsamic vinegar: If you need a soy-free dressing that balances saltiness with sweetness, balsamic vinegar might work for your meal. While it’s different from soy sauce, it shares some of the same umami flavor.
2. 2. Fish sauce: Rather than squeezing sauce from soybeans and wheat, consider trying a fish-based or shellfish-based dressing like Worcestershire sauce (which contains fermented anchovies) or oyster sauce. These sauces have a similar umami flavor plus are good alternatives for anyone with a soy allergy.
3. 3. Hoisin sauce: Thicker than dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce also contains more ingredients, including sesame seeds, garlic, and vinegar. Use it to spruce up rice noodles and stir-fries alike.
4. 4. Shōyu: A Japanese-style soy sauce, shōyu is the base for teriyaki sauce, but it can serve as a sweet soy sauce in its own right. In addition to hailing from Japan, its additional ingredients—like starches and alcohol—differentiate it from traditional Chinese light or dark soy sauce.
5. 5. Tamari sauce: A Japanese soy sauce alternative, tamari sauce uses extra soybeans and far less wheat. Many tamari brands offer completely gluten-free alternatives.

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