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Food - Drink
Tamari: The Japanese Soy Sauce You Should Know About
By NATASHA BAILEY
Most everyone is familiar with soy sauce, a sharp, salty, and tangy condiment used in many East Asian dishes. Most soy sauce is made of soybeans and roasted wheat, which makes it unsuitable to those with gluten allergies or Celiac disease; however, there's one type of soy sauce that even gluten-sensitive people can enjoy.
Tamari is a soy sauce that is a byproduct of miso production; it is traditionally made with no wheat, and tastes smoother, heavier, and a bit less sweet than other soy sauces. According to tamari producer San-J, this sauce originated in Japan and dates back to the seventh century A.D., and you may have seen it in a bottle at sushi restaurants.
Tamari's umami flavor pairs well with savory or earthy dishes like rice and tofu, giving these foods more flavor and heartiness. For the most part, soy sauce and tamari are interchangeable, but tamari has 233 mg per tablespoon of sodium compared to soy sauce's 900 mg, and tamari either has no gluten content or trace amounts under 10%.