Soy sauce is a condiment, used sparingly to flavor dishes. Use it in stir-fried dishes, or
to prepare marinades for meat or vegetables. It can also be used in place of salt in
soups and stews.
Buying and storing tips
Commercial soy sauce is readily available in grocery stores in the condiment aisle or Asian
food section. Tamari and shoyu are both sold in natural foods stores and in Asian markets,
sometimes in bulk. Store any type of soy sauce at room temperature for up to a year.
Varieties
While true tamari or shoyu is an aged product, most of the commercial soy sauce sold in the
United States is a nonfermented synthetic product made from defatted soybean meal and grains mixed with chemicals. Real aged tamari or shoyu
has a different flavor than commercial, synthetic soy sauce. In Japan, synthetic soy sauce is
not recognized by the government, which allows five different types of soy sauce to be labeled
as shoyu. Among the synthetic brands, reduced-sodium soy sauce is available.
Nutrition Highlights
Soy sauce (made from soy and wheat), 1 Tbsp
(15mL)
Calories: 9.4
Protein: 1.25g
Carbohydrate: 1.26g
Total Fat: 0.006g
Fiber: 0.13g
The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes
only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult
your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any
supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
Information expires June 2009.
