Here’s a simple explanation of the difference between the 3 main types of soy sauce (light, dark and normal). The 3 golden rules to remember are:
You can interchange light soy sauce and all purpose soy sauce in recipes;
If a recipe just says “soy sauce”, use an all purpose soy sauce OR light soy sauce; and
NEVER use dark soy sauce unless a recipe specifically calls for it. It is overpoweringly strong.
Also see Asian market shopping list.
Soy Sauce – 3 main types
The mains types of soy sauce are:
Light soy sauce
Dark soy sauce
Soy sauce (all purpose, “normal” or “standard” soy sauce”) – when bottles are simply labelled “soy sauce”. Not light, dark, sweet, mushroom or any other type of soy sauce. I’m going to refer to this as “all purpose soy sauce” in this post, to avoid confusion.
You can interchange light soy sauce and all purpose soy sauce in recipes. But you must NEVER use dark soy sauce unless a recipe calls for it – it is very strong and will overpower the dish!
Difference between each type of soy sauce
Here’s the main difference between each of them:
Light soy sauce (7.2% sodium) – adds salt to a dish but doesn’t stain noodles a deep mahogany colour nor does it add much “soy flavour”
Dark soy sauce (9.3% sodium) – must more intense in flavour and saltiness, noodles become a lovely dark colour
All purpose soy sauce (7% sodium) – pretty much light sauce but slightly more soy flavour. It won’t stain noodles with colour.
Sodium percentages is the salt % in each type of soy sauce, and is an indication only as they differ between brands. The main takeaway here is that dark soy is saltier than light and all purpose.
Soy Sauce Trivia! Though dark soy sauce has more salt it in that light soy sauce, light soy sauce tastes saltier. This is because dark soy sauce has a much stronger soy flavour which overpowers the salty flavour.
What this means – many recipes call for a combination of dark soy sauce and light sauce to get the right balance of flavour, colour and saltiness. If you only use dark soy sauce, the sauce flavour is way too strong. If you just use light soy sauce, the sauce will be salty, but not very flavourful. So I use dark soy sauce to colour sauces/noodles and for flavour, then top up the saltiness using light soy sauce which adds saltiness, a little bit of flavour, and not much colour.
When to use which soy sauce
Dark soy sauce is used for colour and flavour – it adds a terrific mahogany stain to anything it comes in contact with, from the Lo Mein noodles pictured above to the dark, spicy Sichuan sauce of Kung Pao Chicken, Thai Basil Chicken and Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried Noodles).
Light and all purpose soy sauce is used when you want to add soy sauce seasoning (salt) to dishes without overwhelming it with strong soy flavour or making the dish a dark colour. So it’s a deliberate choice for recipes like Chow Mein (pictured above), adding flavour into clear Chinese soup broths (like this Chinese noodle soup), keeping the rice colour white(ish) for Fried Rice, or when you want a clear sauce for stir fries like Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry) or Cashew Chicken.
Combination of dark and soy is used to create a balance of flavour, salt and colour. You add a bit of dark soy for the flavour and colour, then use light soy to add more saltiness to a dish without overwhelming it with soy flavour. Examples: San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Wraps), Hot and Sour Soup, Thai Drunken Noodles.
Dipping sauce – use light or all purpose soy sauce. Do not use dark soy sauce – too strong! Things to dip:
Salad dressings – light or all purpose soy sauce. It would be very unusual to use dark soy sauce. Asian salads to try:
Soy Sauce is NOT gluten-free
Contrary to popular belief, most soy sauces are NOT gluten-free. This is because most are made partially from wheat. The good news is however that gluten-free options are available.
Tamari – This is a rich kind of Japanese soy sauce that is traditionally made exclusively from soy beans. Some brands may still include a small amount of wheat however, so always check the label.
Gluten-free soy sauce – Specially formulated for gluten-intolerant consumers, this type of soy sauce is widely available at everyday grocery stores. Major brands like Kikkoman and Lee Kum Kee all offer gluten-free soy sauces.
Other types of soy sauce varieties
Other types of soy sauce varieties that aren’t as commonly used in my recipes include:
Kecap Manis – This is a sweet Indonesian soy sauce that has a syrupy constancy. Adds sweetness, stains with colour and adds soy flavour. Used in the following recipes:
Mushroom soy sauce – It’s like all purpose soy sauce with the addition of earthy mushroom flavour. It’s actually a good substitute for dark soy sauce because it has more flavour than light and all purpose soy sauce.
Tamari – As mentioned above, this is a special kind of Japanese soy that also happens to be gluten-free. This soy sauce is rich, dark, and slightly thicker than light or dark soy. It’s used for cooking but is also great for dipping, especially sashimi.
And there you have it! My soy sauce crash course which I’m sharing to accompany my “What to buy from Asian Grocery Stores Guide”. (6 sauces = 45+ recipes!)
Hope you find it useful! – Nagi x
Life of Dozer
No recipes doesn’t mean no Dozer!! He smells of strawberry right now, from my shampoo (he was out of his own!)
where does golden soy fit into the equation?
Thank you for your soy sauce education! It’s always been there but I’ve only just now read it. I wonder if you have a recipe of what the Chinese (and other Asian) take aways use as soy dipping sauce because to me it doesn’t taste like straight soy sauce. At a local restaurant I asked one of the ladies there and she said’oh we add a bit of sugar and water’. Hmmm tried a few variations of that but it must be more than that, do u think?
Any thoughts on the matter? Totally appreciate it as I do all your recipes. What did I ever do before you came along?
Thanks so much for reading me!
Great recipe! It never fails me. On the subject of soy sauce. I have, in the past, used “white” soy sauce. What is your opinion on this?
Hi Nagi. Thanks for this helpful guide. I am, however, a little confused about the salt percentages you quote for each soy type. I live in Finland, but have the.exact same brand light and all-purpose bottles as you. The salt for the light is 17.5g per 100ml (so 17.5%) and 16.9 for the all-purpose. Do you have drastically reduced salt versions in Australia?
Is there a substitute to soy sauce,as I can not have sodium.
First time for comment
Is there a substitute to soy sauce,as I can not have sodium.
Can i put sweet soy sauce in it? Should I put less amount of sweet soy sauce in order to not have too much flavour in the dish?
Hi Nagi,
I’m a long time fan…..
I have read your notes about the different types of soy sauces and when to use them in recipes. Just wondering if there is Chinese and Japanese soy sauce or are they the same?…..hope this makes sense to you…🤣
I use dark soy sauce all the time and I wouldn’t say it’s “overpoweringly strong”
Great post! I had no idea there were so many types of soy sauce. The tips on when to use each type are super helpful, especially for someone like me who loves trying new recipes. I’ll definitely be trying out those substitutes you mentioned next time I run out of my favorite soy sauce.
My name is Ambrose from Nigeria I would like to do business with your company I’m interested in your products soy sauce I would like you to send me your WhatsApp number on my email so we can talk about more of your business
interested info
Just bought the “Tonight” book which is great. As my wife is celiac, is it fair to say that some of the recipes would be gluten free, if we use gluten free soy sauce?
i.e. if we check Soy sauce is the sole ingredient that would contain gluten then substituting as above is likely to fix the issue 🙂
Hi Nagi,
Can you please comment on kecap asin and appropriate substitutes.Thanks so much for all you do.
Please comment or explain kecap asin and substitutes.Thank you for all you do.
Can you please comment on kecap asin and appropriate substitutes.Thanks so much for all you do.
Thanks for the low down on soy sauce. However, I usually (always) buy Changs Soy Sauce. To me, it looks like a dark sauce. Can you please tell me if it is dark or light? Thank you.
Thank you Nagi for your insatiable wealth of information
Thank you Nagi for your crash course on the different soy sauces available.
You’re all confused. “Lite” soy sauce is less salty than normal dark soy sauce. “Light” soy sauce is lighter in color and saltier than dark soy sauce. I don’t know where you guys are getting your information from.