Soy sauce originated in China around 2,200 years ago as a method of food preservation and to enhance the simple vegetarian diets of Buddhist practitioners. It exemplifies the concept of kokumi, which translates to “rich taste,” often regarded as the sixth flavor sensation.
Recently, I conducted a tasting of various soy sauces, assessing their unique characteristics and intensities. I observed a range of aromas, including hints of cooked potato, sulfur, and broth—typical of soy sauce and surprisingly pleasant—along with notes of caramel and malt. The finest soy sauces displayed more complexity, featuring fruity highs and vinous undertones.
★★★★☆
This soy sauce boasts an intricate aroma, highlighted by a fruity banana blossom scent and earthy forest notes. On the palate, it offers a wide flavor spectrum, starting with astringent hints of roasted popcorn and caramel, followed by saltiness and acidity, anchored by a robust bean base. Crafted from non-GMO soybeans sourced from southern Taiwan, it undergoes a single pressing and natural fermentation without additives—truly worth its price.
★★★★☆
The flavor profile here is rich and layered, presenting notes of dark malt, green vegetables, and molasses. It’s salt-forward, delivering a full-bodied mouthfeel with underlying mushroom and bean flavors. Naturally fermented for eight months and gluten-free, this sauce consists of just four ingredients with a high organic soybean content of 45%. A remarkable value.
★★★★☆
With a pronounced beany aroma complemented by meaty notes and a sweet, caramel finish, this soy sauce offers a powerful flavor explosion. Its intense salty and umami complexity resembles the remnants of a sticky roast beef rib. Made with just four ingredients—water, soybeans, wheat, and salt—it is naturally brewed and fermented for six months, containing no additives.
★★★★☆
This sauce presents a sweet, malty aroma with savory undertones of mushroom and potato. It delivers a rich, salt-forward flavor with a substantial umami kick and balanced acidity. A double-strength organic tamari, it is gluten-free and aged in cedarwood barrels for two summers, featuring a high soybean ratio of 52% and no additives.
★★★★☆
Featuring a deep aroma reminiscent of cooked mushrooms, this soy sauce includes notes of caramel, potatoes, and cheese. It has a salt-forward profile with a sharp alcohol note and underlying beany mushroom characteristics. It contains a higher percentage of soy sauce extract (51%) compared to more affordable alternatives, along with six additives, such as coloring agents and preservatives.
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★★★★☆
This soy sauce presents a sweet, floral mirin aroma with synthetic meaty undertones. The flavor is sweet-forward, featuring strong caramel and malty cola notes. It contains 15% soy sauce extract and three additives, including coloring and preservatives.
★★★★☆
With a dark, meaty aroma reminiscent of Bovril, this sauce has an intensely salty taste accompanied by a singular caramel and broth flavor. It holds the lowest stated soybean content in this review at just 3% and also includes three additives.
★★★★☆
This soy sauce features a mushroomy Bovril aroma and a strong salty, bitter taste with hints of smoke, caramel, and brassica. It contains only 6% soy sauce extract and three additives.
★★★★☆
With a sweet, fruity floral aroma and hints of mushroom and meaty caramel, this sauce is intensely salty and powerful, offering a deep, albeit one-dimensional umami base. Produced in Malaysia using Chinese soy sauce extract, it contains only 8% soybeans and three additives.
★★★☆☆
This soy sauce has a rich, malty, caramel aroma with a hint of smoke. It is intensely salty and robust, featuring umami notes of meat and potatoes, along with sulfuric hints and a sweet aftertaste. Use sparingly, as it is made with 20% soy sauce extract, with the remainder consisting of water, salt, caramelized sugar syrup, an acidity regulator (lactic acid), and potassium sorbate as a preservative.
For further insights, explore our tasting and ratings of the best hot sauces available.
