How to Spot Japanese Soy Sauce

Most people don’t think too much about the difference between different kinds of soy sauce. If you’ve tried one, you’ve tried them all, right? Not quite! The sauce you find at our Bothell Japanese restaurant is actually made in a style that is distinctly Japanese. Indeed, there is an important distinction to be made between Japanese soy sauce and Chinese soy sauce.

The main difference between Chinese and Japanese soy sauces is the amount of wheat in the mixture. Chinese-style soy sauce typically has little or no wheat, while Japanese soy sauces will usually contain a substantial amount of the grain. It is wheat that gives the Japanese sauce its sweeter taste, which may explain why most of the common soy sauces you find in American Asian-style restaurants are of Japanese origin.