Many Chinese and Japanese soy sauce brands have gluten-free soy sauce options these days. Tamari is often described as a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce, but not all tamari products are guaranteed to be gluten-free.
Let’s clear up the confusion!
What Is Gluten-Free Soy Sauce?
Soy sauce is traditionally fermented with wheat or wheat flour in addition to soybeans. Those with gluten allergies, therefore, can’t use regular soy sauce. Gluten-free soy sauce is one that has been fermented without wheat.
Many articles on the Internet use the terms “gluten-free soy sauce” and “tamari” interchangeably. However, tamari is not necessarily always gluten-free.
Tamari was developed in the 15th century as a by-product of miso production (miso is a type of Japanese fermented soybean paste).
Some tamaris can contain trace amounts of wheat, so always check the label to ensure that it is a certified gluten-free product. That’s why we distinguish between tamari and gluten-free soy sauce.
If you’re wondering if you can buy a gluten-free dark soy sauce, the answer is that we have not seen any brands come out with one yet. But the good news is that you can use our dark soy sauce substitute recipe to make your own gluten-free dark soy sauce.
How Is It Used?
However regular soy sauce is used! See here for an explanation.
Buying & Storing
Look for the gluten-free distinction on the label and always check the ingredients.
Store in a cool, dry place like the pantry. No need to refrigerate.
If you have further questions about gluten-free soy sauce, let us know in the comments––we try to answer every single one.
