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Soy sauce is one of the best ways to add umami — a complex, salty, and savory flavor — to dishes. Widely used in Asian cuisine, it’s also extremely versatile and can be used in many different types of food (
Yet, if you have to avoid gluten, you may wonder whether soy sauce fits your dietary needs.
This article reviews whether soy sauce is gluten-free, which brands to choose, and a gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
Soy sauce is traditionally made with wheat and soy, making the name “soy sauce” slightly misleading.
The sauce is typically made by combining soy and crushed wheat and allowing the two to ferment for several days in a salty brine containing mold cultures (2).
Therefore, most soy sauces contain gluten from the wheat.
However, one variety called tamari is often naturally gluten-free. While traditional Japanese tamari contains a small amount of wheat, most tamari produced today is made using only fermented soy (2).
Additionally, some soy sauces are made with rice instead of wheat to accommodate people with gluten sensitivities.
SummaryMost soy sauce varieties contain gluten, but tamari soy sauce is generally gluten-free. Gluten-free soy sauce made with rice is also an option.
Most standard soy sauces contain gluten, while most tamari soy sauces are gluten-free.
However, you should always look for gluten-free labeling on the packaging.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates that a food labeled gluten-free contains fewer than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, a microscopic amount that is unlikely to affect even the most severely gluten-intolerant people (
Another way to identify gluten-free soy sauce is to check the ingredient list. If it contains wheat, rye, barley, or any ingredients made from these grains, the product is not gluten-free.
Here are several varieties of gluten-free soy sauce:
- Kikkoman Gluten-Free Soy Sauce
- Kikkoman Tamari Soy Sauce
- San-J Tamari Gluten-Free Soy Sauce
- La Bonne Gluten-Free Soy Sauce
- Oshawa Tamari Soy Sauce
These are just a few of the gluten-free options available. The most reliable way to identify gluten-free soy sauces is by checking for a gluten-free claim on the label.
SummaryTo ensure your soy sauce does not contain gluten, choose a soy sauce that’s labeled gluten-free. There are several options available.
Additionally, coconut aminos are a popular, naturally gluten-free alternative to soy sauce that can provide a punch of savory flavor.
Coconut aminos are made by aging coconut blossom sap with salt.
The result is a sauce that tastes remarkably similar to soy sauce but is naturally gluten-free. It gets its name from the fact that it contains several amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.
Like tamari, coconut aminos are a solid gluten-free soy sauce replacement and available in specialty stores or online.
SummaryCoconut aminos are a popular, gluten-free soy sauce alternative made from coconut sap.
Most soy sauce varieties are not gluten-free.
However, tamari soy sauce is generally made without wheat and, therefore, gluten-free. The same goes for soy sauces made with rice.
Additionally, coconut aminos are a gluten-free soy sauce alternative with a similar taste.
With these gluten-free options, you don’t have to miss out on the unique umami flavor of soy sauce.
