### Overview Tamari is (originally) a byproduct of of the Miso making process, and in its purest form is just fermented soy, salt, and water and Koji (specialized bacterial cultures). It differs from soy sauce in that it does not include wheat and is therefore gluten free. In my experience, tamari is a bit harder to source than soy sauce, likely because of its comparative lack of popularity. It is also difficult (or impossible) to find "dark" or "light" varieties as you can with soy sauce. Furthermore there are also often added ingredients (natural or otherwise) to enhance flavor which may or may not be preferable. ### Products #### San-J San-J is inexpensive and quite easy to find everywhere. In my opinion it does not have a very nuanced taste and therefore comes off as very salt-forward. It will work in a pinch, but if you don't have a gluten constraint consider just grabbing some nice soy sauce instead. This is available in a 50% reduced sodium variety, though, which I like particularly for applications where you will be reducing it. [San-J Organic Tamari](https://amzn.to/477dn7e) [San-J 50% Reduced Sodium Tamari](https://amzn.to/3v72tRw) #### Momofuku David Chang's brand, Momofuku, is also pretty easy to find these days, which makes it a great alternative to San-J if you're looking for something a little more tasty and less salt-forward. Some of this flavor nuance is likely due to the addition of alcohol and Kombu, which may not appeal to purists. Additionally, Kombu (which is a type of seaweed) contains glutamate, so be advised if you are allergic to glutamate or possibly MSG. [Momofuku Tamari](https://amzn.to/3NBguNR) #### Ohsawa Ohsawa makes great products across the board and their tamari is no exception. This tamari is nuanced but well-balanced and is the one I turn to as my general every-day cooking tamari. Note, there is some small amount sake in this tamari (likely to "preserve freshness") and though I am generally standoffish with fermented products containing added alcohol, I make an exception here due to my familiarity with and trust in their brand. That said, lean on this one more in situations where it will be cooked, as the alcohol will cook off and pull flavor through the other ingredients a little better. [Ohsawa](https://www.amazon.com/Ohsawa-Sauce-Tamari-32-Ounce/dp/B0019LFC2K/ref=sr_1_20?crid=KDI2IM3EH9ND&keywords=tamari&qid=1702926433&sprefix=tamari%2Caps%2C138&sr=8-20) [Tamari](https://amzn.to/48sSsMG) #### Miso Master Organic Miso Master is another great brand which has quickly developed a lot of trust with me, and I have to say that this one is the tastiest and most nuanced tamari that I have tried. This is particularly impressive given the complete lack of additives in this product. From my research, this seems to be the only reasonably-widely available tamari which is made in the traditional fashion along with the production of miso paste (which I also highly recommend from this brand). This Tamari has a much more umami and less salty taste and is a bit darker in color. I find it is good for finishing dishes or using in place of "dark soy sauce" for color. [Miso Master Organic Tamari](https://amzn.to/41x5jve) ### Further Reading - [The Noma Guide to Fermentation](https://amzn.to/3RVfhna)