Shōyu Sauce Guide: 6 Types of Shōyu Sauce

Shōyu is an umbrella term for a spectrum of Japanese-style soy sauces with distinct variations in umami flavor and cooking applications. Generally, shōyu is made by combining cooked soybeans and cooked wheat grains into a paste, then adding koji rice (cooked rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae, a bacterial fungus) and salt to begin the fermentation process. The mixture, or moromi, is left to ferment further—with brew times varying depending on the producer and style—before being pressed, filtered, and pasteurized.

There are different kinds of shōyu, with varying levels of wheat inclusion or additives, such as alcohol, preservatives, or starch thickeners. These sauces generally fall under six categories:

1. 1. Koikuchi: Thick koikuchi-style shōyu is also known as “dark” shōyu and is the most accessible type of soy sauce in American grocery stores. Often referred to as the “all-purpose” shoyu, this dark soy sauce is the most commonly used in Japanese cuisine.
2. 2. Nama: Nama shōyu is an unpasteurized, or “raw,” shōyu popular with those following a raw food diet, thanks to the presence of living enzymes, which aid digestion and other bodily functions.
   
3. 3. Saishikomi: This style of double-fermented (“double-brewed”) dark soy sauce is the heaviest hitter among the group, with a rich, concentrated flavor and a thicker consistency that makes it an ideal dipping or finishing sauce.
4. 4. Shiro: Also known as “white soy sauce,” shiro is one of the lightest and sweetest categories of shōyu, with a high percentage of wheat. Shiro, which imparts less color than other shōyu sauces, is typically used to season delicate dishes like tamagoyaki, a sweet egg omelet, or steamed vegetables.
5. 5. Tamari: Tamari is a Japanese-style soy sauce formed as a byproduct during miso paste production. This rich, thick, wheat-free shōyu is ideal for those with gluten-free diets and health-related issues exacerbated by wheat consumption.
6. 6. Usukuchi: Thinner than koikuchi but saltier than shiro, usukuchi is topped off with mirin rice wine, giving it a funky, lightly sweet finish.
   

Here are a few ways to use shōyu in your cooking:

1. 1. As a sauce: You can use shōyu as the base for other Japanese sauces, like teriyaki and tare. The thicker varieties, in particular, are ideal for use as a condiment or dipping sauce for dishes like sashimi, sushi, or appetizers like gyoza dumplings.
2. 2. As a seasoning: Lighter grades of shōyu are often used to season nabemono (hot pot dishes) and stir-fries. You can use darker shōyu sauces with more intense flavors to season shōyu ramen broth and braising liquids like oyakodon sauce.
3. 3. As a marinade or glaze: The deep flavors and salt content of light and dark shōyus are perfect for braising, marinades and glazes.

The main difference between shōyu and other soy sauces is the wheat percentage included in the brewing process. Chinese-style soy sauce is made using only fermented soybeans, but the Japanese shōyu recipes call for roughly equal parts wheat and soy. As a result, shōyu tends to have a slightly sweeter flavor profile and richer consistency than other soy sauces and is sharper, thinner, and salt-forward.

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