There's really good house made soy sauce available near me, but it's not great for everyday kitchen use, and I'm not about to make my own. I keep reduced salt Kikkoman in the fridge for that.

Why not good for daily use?

It's hard to explain. Too good? Very intense flavor, too much salt, doesn't keep well. It's not "daily use" so much, if one were eating Asian foods daily. It's the old add a splash of soy sauce thing that it's not suited for. I probably wouldn't use the Kikkoman for fine chef made sushi, but I wouldn't put artisanal in an omelette or salad dressing. Kikkoman really is very good, and I like that it's pasteurized and lower in salt.

Kikkoman is too strong and salty. I use Yamasa, made here in Oregon, which comes in a small bottle with a red cap with two pouring holes.

Used to buy Kikkoman less sodium. Currently have San-J Tamari reduced sodium and Trader Joe's reduced sodium in the fridge.

I only buy Red Boat fish sauce.

I keep at least three brands of soy sauce on hand, and the flavors do vary, much like wine. I buy them only at a Japanese market, and the only one that has an English type name is Yamasa, which should be available in your grocery store (or Amazon). Its flavor is not as complex as the bottle which has the web site www.donki.com/j-kakaku on it and the title "tokusen marudaizu shouyu" above the ingredients. The other bottle I have is "fukidaizusiyoutokusen shouyu", and it is imported by MKK in Torrance, but MKK is actually in Gardena, which is Torrance adjacent. Torrance is more than 10% Japanese, and Gardena is almost 12%, and so it is easy to find Japanese markets and restaurants there. We normally go to Japanese markets in Little Osaka (Sawtelle) or Mar Vista, which are closer to use than Torrance, however.

I have bought salt-free soy sauce as well, but I do not recommend it. It is preserved with alcohol or some sort

Here's some more info on soy sauce. This writer recommends Yamasa Marudaizu over Kikkoman, but that is her personal preference (and mine), for every day soy sauce.

You can order Japanese soy sauce from this site, but I do not have that particular brand on hand at the moment, although I have bought it before and liked it.

The Yamasa soy sauce that I buy is made in Japan - not Oregon. I have not seen the domestic version, but Yamasa does have a factory in Salem, Oregon.

I like the SanJ low sodium Tamari Soy Sauce that CindyMac mentioned. It is not expensive, and is readily available, and does not overpower a dish with salt. The company offers both an organic and non-organic version if that matters to you.

San-J Tamari Soy Reduced Sodium

San-J Organic Tamari Soy Reduced Sodium

Lars that is a great link! I posted this thread as I was beginning to think soy sauce was not unlike Olive oil where you have various pressing grades, dipping quality, artisanal varieties. Good to know.. I will look for Yamasa soy sauce. We have a nice Japanese grocery store in Houston, I'll Ck there first. I once bought a mayonnaise there that somebody recommended and it was divine. I need to get some more, so a dbl purpose trip.

There's an interesting Asian market near here... they have *many* choices of soy sauce, so we asked them which was best: based on their recommendation we use Cay Bo De vegetarian soy sauce from Vietnam.

ETA: it's also gluten-free.

I use Bragg's Amino Acids in place of soy sauce, it's also gluten free, so that's a double bonus for me.

Annie

For general use, I use San-J low sodium, gluten free soy/tamari sauce. I also have the very low sodium coconut aminos to hand. (They don't taste like coconut).

For specialized,authentic Chinese dishes, I have picked up a couple of obscure brands from a Korean grocery -- one is a light-tasting soup style, and the other most definitely a heavy soy flavor. (Neither of these are low sodium or gluten free.)

Party music, I'll look for that Vietnamese soy!

My favorite is Pearl River Bridge mushroom flavor soy sauce. Not low salt. 1230 sodium per Tblsp

The Pearl River Bridge Superior Dark Soy Sauce has only 810 mg sodium per table spoon.

I actually use these for making brown gravy in a pinch -- just add to water and thicken.

There's a wide variety of soy sauces, depending on the culture. I think it's sort of like mustards, in terms of variety. Even within a culture, like Chinese, you have many different types. My preference for a Japanese-style general purpose dark soy sauce is Kikkoman (made in Wisconsin and California for the US market). For Chinese, Lee Kum Kee. Overall, though, it's a matter of preference in some cases. However, I don't like the hydrolyzed/artificial soy like La Choy.

This is was recommended by a cooking magazine. It's pretty good. Buy at Whole Foods, Target...

I agree on the San-J Tamari. I prefer it to the Yamasa. Dropped Kikkoman decades ago, it's just liquid salt - even the low-salt one.

I tried the Pearl River Bridge light soy and liked it, but we're cutting way back on Chinese-made condiments. With their extraordinarily poor record of food safety and rampant contamination, we're not comfortable using them any longer.

Find an Asian market! First time I ever went in little market near me was specifically for soy sauce. Knew I would be needing more soon and thought I'd check out other brands. First aisle inside door... must have been at least 8 different soy sauces, most with little/no English on the labels. I asked store owner for a recommendation... and slowly working my way thru the rest of the brands. The soy sauce was significantly less money for more product... as was many other products. Sesame seeds were $.99 for 4 ounces... that's a LOT of sesame seeds... white, black, raw, toasted, etc.

I stock three. San-J, another basic for brining but can't place the name since i put it in another container...and have a rotation i'm always trying of a few that i hear are good and have read about. I seem to always have one i pick up to try.

Most important is what not to buy...the quick methods of chemical processing so study up about what to look for on labels.

Google 'best soy sauce' and a few good studies are posted by 'serious eats' and Epicurious. Good reads and will fill you in on what to look for.

(i can't link easily for some reason today having a down-load problem)

RedBoat is my only fish sauce.

Also remember to keep in fridge once opened. Sure some say not necessary but because of the salts i use so little and keeping cool is the best way to preserve the flavor. In the summer months i use less with so much fresh herb marinades and dressings. A much lighter seasoned season. I will make spring rolls at some point soon and use for a dipping sauce but just a few tbsp with sesame oil and wasabi and fresh ginger.

I use my soy so much more often in the winter months.

My favorite is Aloha Soy Sauce........from Hawaii.

Another one here for the San-J Tamari soy sauce. It would be interesting, though, to try those from an Asian market. I don't use soy sauce much, though, so haven't bothered.

Sally

San-J Gluten Free Tamari, Red Boat Fish Sauce and Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos. I'm intolerant to soy sauce, but keep the Gluten Free in the house in case I taste a bite of what I'm cooking for others. For me I use Coconut Aminos and to counteract the sweetness or add more depth of flavor when making certain foods- such as cauliflower fried rice- I add some fish sauce to the mix. It's delicious!

I don't use soy sauce on an everyday basis so Trader Joe's Reduced Sodium works OK for me.