How to Choose the Best Soy Sauce？

March 9, 2026

It is understandable if the presence of many soy sauce boxes inside the grocery store will take you to a different direction. The thought of “What is the best soy sauce available?” might just cross your mind. However, the answer is not found in a single big brand name but in a combination of universally shared factors that make the best soy sauce stand out. It isn’t just that you have to learn a few different things; it’s about learning these essential three: the production process, the ingredients, and the way you will use it in your food. This tutorial will give you the skills of a top chef on how to discern your food’s quality. Aside from this, you’ll also learn about various types of soy sauces and which ones are ideal to use for different recipes.

The 3 Keys to Quality

In the search for quality soy sauce, it is essential to avoid being dazzled by the fancy packaging. You need to realize that quality is not just about appearance. In your soy sauce shopping trips, these three keys will be your guiding light.

The Making Process

The primary factor that separates an acceptable soy sauce from a truly remarkable one is the process of making it. They can be either traditional brewing or chemical production. Normally, it is done through a slow fermentation process involving natural soy sauce. This process takes 6 months or even longer. The mixture consists of soybeans, wheat, salt, and a special type of culture called koji. It will age slowly, and rich, umami flavors will develop. Chemical soy sauce is made quickly and in just a matter of days. This salt solution uses acid to break down the soy proteins. Acid hydrolysis is the term for this process. The resulting flavor is often sour, bland, or overly salty. In order to resemble real soy sauce, producers often add things like corn syrup, caramel coloring, and other flavor enhancers. The ability to recognize this explanation is the first step to really understanding what to look for in soy sauce.

Feature	Natural Brewing	Chemical Production
Process	Natural fermentation with koji	Acid hydrolysis
Time	6+ months	A few days
Flavor	Complex, rich, umami	Harsh, salty, flat
Ingredients	Simple (soy, wheat, salt, water)	Often has additives, colorants

The Ingredient List

Next, the ingredient list will be your second clue to quality. Remember, the simpler it is, the better it is. That’s how you can find your soy sauce.

Only four words should be on the ingredient list: water, soybeans, wheat, and salt. That’s really all you need. Even the top ingredients need to be good. The best sauces are born from choice non-GMO soybeans.

The label contains traces of harmful substances. Hydrated soy protein, corn syrup, caramel color, and chemical preservatives are examples of these treacherous culprits. Today, many soy sauce manufacturers realize the need for clean labels and are opting for the same tradition through the simple, non-GMO soybeans that they use. This helps them in their quest for transparency because it leads to the easily mixed up with good brands.

The Expert’s Number

The AAN (amino acid nitrogen) value is the best-kept secret in soy sauce world and something most articles fail to mention. The value indicates the umami level of the soy sauce, which means the amount of savory richness. You are likely to see this number on many Chinese soy sauce labels. The number indicates the amount of protein broken down by natural fermentation. The more protein is broken down in the fermentation process the higher the AAN score, and so the better the taste. This is a reliable measure to check the quality of the soy sauce. The grading scale is as follows: * Third Grade: ≥ 0.4g/100ml * Second Grade: ≥ 0.55g/100ml * First Grade: ≥ 0.7g/100ml * Premium (or Special) Grade: ≥ 0.8g/100ml (with the best examples reaching 1.2g/100ml or more)

Soy Sauce's Types

Having the knowledge of the various soy sauce types is as fundamental as it gets for a native cook. Using the wrong soy sauce can easily change your dish from great to terrible. Let’s discuss the most common types step by step.

Light Soy Sauce

Light soy sauce is your everyday all-purpose soy sauce. This type is thinner, clearer plus the color and taste are less pronounced.

The primary function of the light soy sauce is to season (add umami) and bring out flavors. It will not color the food too much. Hence, it can be used for stir-frying, marinating, dumpling dipping sauce, or a condiment on the table. The particular word “soy sauce” generally refers to this sauce unless stated otherwise.

Dark Soy Sauce

The dark soy sauce is a heavy and thick version of the light soy sauce. It’s also significantly darker and less salty. It frequently has a slight molasses-like sweetness.

The dark soy sauce is mainly used to give rich brown color and a hint of sweetness to food. Dark soy sauce is the one used mainly in classic red-braised dishes like pork belly, stews, and sauces. In fried rice and noodles, this soy sauce also adds the dark umami flavor. Typically, you will use it in conjunction with light soy sauce, and mostly in smaller ratio.

Other Notable Types

Tamari: Tamari is a Japanese type of soy sauce. It is usually made almost entirely without wheat. That gives it a rich and mellow flavor, unlike the sharp quality of regular soy sauce. Besides that, it is an excellent gluten-free alternative for people who need it.
Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: If you want to consume less salt, this is an excellent alternative. This type is produced by brewing natural soy sauce initially and then removing salt first post fermentation. This process Lightens it up while keeping the flavor intact.

How to Choose and Use Soy Sauce

You are ready now that you know how to recognize quality and distinguish the various types, let’s put everything together in practice. This is practical advice that will help you to choose soy sauce correctly and use it to make your food great.

A chef’s pairing chart

This is a quite simple sheet that can help you quickly match your dish to the right soy sauce.

Dish Type	Recommended Soy Sauce	Why It Works
Dipping Sushi/Dumplings	Premium Light Soy Sauce / Tamari	Clean, umami flavor that doesn't overpower the food.
Everyday Stir-Frying	Quality Light Soy Sauce	Adds essential saltiness and savoriness.
Braised Meats / Stews	Dark Soy Sauce (often with Light)	Provides deep color and a rich, slightly sweet flavor.
Glazes & Marinades	A mix of Light and Dark	Balances color, salt, and complex flavor.

Is the term “First press” a measure of the quality?

The “first press” or the “first extract” (头抽, tóu chōu) will often be found on more selective soy sauce bottles. This refers to the very first liquid drawn from the fermenting vats. Much like extra virgin olive oil is of the first press soy sauce it is the highest grade. The first press has a delicate, aromatic, and complex taste characteristic only to this type of soy sauce. The best way to enjoy this quality is to use a simple way, for instance, a dipping sauce or a drizzle at the end of cooking. Thus, your palate can fully appreciate its subtle touch.

The purity mentioned above is what traditional brewing methods like High-Salt Dilute Authenticity Brew™ focus on. This is a method of capturing the “pure initial flavor”. It is the standard set for what is considered the ultimate dipping sauce. For people who desire to have an authentic, traditionally brewed experience in their Chinese cuisine, they could choose from a wide range of products with these methods set to the highest standards of flavor and purity. We use the High-Salt Dilute Authentic Brewing™ traditional brewing method, specially designed for classic culinary techniques, delivering a rich and authentic flavor that satisfies even the most discerning palates.

By virtue of the fact that not every dish will be good, with the use of first-press soy sauce, one should be able to tell the different levels with respect to the quality of soy sauce which will help navigate the soy sauce aisle effectively and thus make the right choice.

Your Journey to Better Soy Sauce

Your question might be: What is the highest quality soy sauce? Well, the answer lies in the one that is carefully made and intentionally picked.

Apply the three keys to quality: look for a label that says natural brewing, check for a simple ingredient list, and if possible find a high AAN value. The best soy sauce is ultimately the one that meets these standards and is perfect for the dish you are creating. Apply the learning you have received to progress one drop of taste at a time.

Common Questions

Q1:What's the main difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy sauce is for the salt and umami seasoning while dark soy sauce is a thicker soy sauce that also contains less salt, primarily used for rich, dark color and a hint of sweetness in dishes, especially in braises and stews.

Q2:Is Japanese shoyu the same as Chinese soy sauce?

Although they are alike, they are not entirely the same. Japanese shoyu generally has more wheat which results in a sweeter and more aromatic taste than its Chinese counterpart. In contrast, Chinese soy sauces tend to be stronger in flavor and saltiness. In addition, the subtlety between dark and light is also more pronounced in Chinese cuisine.

Q3:How can I tell if soy sauce is chemically produced?

Check the ingredient list for signs of toxicity, such as “hydrolyzed soy protein,” “acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein,” corn syrup, and artificial colorants. A label that says “naturally brewed” will be an indication of good quality.

Q4: Does more expensive soy sauce mean better quality?

This is a question that cannot be answered definitively. However, it is mostly true. Eyebrow price is typically a sign that the product has been naturally brewed for a longer time and it uses quality raw materials. Use the tips in this guide like asking about the brewing method, the ingredients, and AAN value (if available) to determine quality on your own rather than simply looking at the price. As the best soy sauce reviews indicated, a few cheaper brands are really good, and a few costly brands are not really worth buying.

Q5: How should I store soy sauce after opening?

To preserve its flavor and prevent spoilage, always refrigerate opened soy sauce. The cold and darker environment will retain its taste benefit for several months.