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Home Asian Recipes

Soy Sauce – different types, when to use what, best substitutes

By:Nagi
Published:1 Jul '20Updated:3 Jan '21
66 Comments
Dozer v

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:

  1. You can interchange light soy sauce and all purpose soy sauce in recipes;

  2. If a recipe just says “soy sauce”, use an all purpose soy sauce OR light soy sauce; and

  3. NEVER use dark soy sauce unless a recipe specifically calls for it. It is overpoweringly strong.

Also see Asian market shopping list.

Soy sauces - different types - light vs dark soy sauce
Left to right: light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and all purpose soy sauce.

Soy Sauce – 3 main types

The mains types of soy sauce are:

  1. Light soy sauce

  2. Dark soy sauce

  3. 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.

Comparison of light vs dark soy sauce

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:

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Japanese GYOZA (Dumplings)
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  • Salad dressings – light or all purpose soy sauce. It would be very unusual to use dark soy sauce. Asian salads to try:

Asian Slaw in a salad bowl with Asian Dressing, ready to be served
Asian Slaw – healthy, crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad
Asian Sesame Dressing - made with soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and sugar. Lasts for 3 weeks, an essential pantry standby! recipetineats.com
Asian Sesame Dressing
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Close up of Kung Pao Chicken fresh off the stove
The dark colour of Kung Pao Chicken is from the dark soy sauce.

Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free

Contrary to popular belief, soy sauce is NOT gluten free. The good news is that nowadays, gluten free soy sauce is widely available at everyday grocery stores with major brands like Kikkoman and Lee Kum Kee all offering 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:

Nasi Goreng on a plate with a side of fried egg, tomato and cucumbers
Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
Overhead. photo of Gado Gado - Indonesian Salad with Peanut Sauce
Gado Gado (Indonesian salad with peanut sauce)
Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce (Indonesian / Bali version)
Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce (Indonesian/Bali)
Close up of Mie Goreng in a bowl, ready to be eaten
Mie Goreng (Mee Goreng – Indonesian noodles)
  • 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 – this was traditionally offered as the gluten free alternative to soy sauce. But actually, this is like a more complex flavoured soy sauce, and slightly less salty too. Good to use as a dipping sauce!


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


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My Asian market shopping list (6 sauces = 45 recipes!)

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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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66 Comments

  1. Lyn Vesey says

    December 6, 2022 at 9:59 am

    Hello Nagi
    First, Many Christmas greetings to you & Dozer 🌲
    Now the question as I am stuck. I bought a jar of Soybean Paste and for the life of me I don’t know what recipe I was to use it in.
    I’ve read through your Soy diary and its not mentioned.
    Can you solve this mystery for me please. Thank you ❤

    Reply
  2. Heather says

    November 8, 2022 at 6:50 pm

    Nagi,
    Thank you again. Today I have learnt all about soy sauce, thanks to you.
    Just love your posts

    Reply
  3. Nelia says

    September 25, 2022 at 9:37 pm

    Thank you so much. I am not one to write comments but your tips have really helped me. I from Zambia and I was trying out recipes with soy sauce.
    Now I know when to use which one ♡

    Reply
  4. John Fitzpatrick says

    September 8, 2022 at 11:19 am

    Your explanation of different Soy sauces was most helpful.

    Give Dozer a pat for me.

    Reply
  5. Janie B says

    July 14, 2022 at 1:15 pm

    Thank you Nagi for all of the information on these soy sauces. I love creating your recipes so much but my stores here doesn’t carry dark soy sauce, it’s been very limited on some of the recipes that I want to try but now I know much more about these and I am going to try Amazon for these. Thank you again. I usually don’t post much but when you have helped so much for so many people and all that you do for the people in your area is just so amazing, I just had to say something. If I get to Australia some day, I would love to stop in and say thanks personally. I am patiently waiting for your Cookbook also. Give Dozer a big hug from me. TY!!

    Reply
  6. Donna Pike says

    May 27, 2022 at 10:57 am

    Nagi, just wanted to thank you for all your amazing tips! Love your recipes too. Hubby thinks I am a genius! Lol! Your Charlie Brown sauce is a staple in my fridge and it is so easy to use. Many thanks❣️

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 27, 2022 at 1:40 pm

      I’m sure you are a cooking genius Donna!! Enjoy! N x

      Reply
  7. David Emery says

    May 15, 2022 at 12:24 pm

    Nagi, Thank you so much for explaining the differences between soy sauces. I have been looking at some mouth watering recipes on YouTube from a number of Chinese chefs but I have been very confused by their use of both light and dark soy sauce, Here in the US one only usually finds standard soy sauce. Thank you so very much, you are truly fantastic!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 15, 2022 at 5:28 pm

      I am glad that I could help David! N x

      Reply
  8. Autumn Wilbanks says

    May 14, 2022 at 11:26 pm

    Love your recipes and all the information you provide for those of us that don’t know about all the ‘new’ ingredients that the Asian food adventure brings! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 15, 2022 at 5:47 pm

      You are welcome Autumn! I love sharing Asian food with the world!! N x

      Reply
  9. Diane says

    May 14, 2022 at 9:33 am

    It’s been eight years since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. What I miss most is being able to go to a Chinese restaurant and know I can safely eat anything on their menu. Is there any way that I can make or find a sub for dark soy sauce? I’ve found a couple of subs for regular soys sauce that I like but I would love to make these noodles!

    Reply
  10. Sally Murphy says

    May 11, 2022 at 8:48 pm

    Hi Nagi, So glad you’re back, We’ve missed you lots:)

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 12, 2022 at 2:34 pm

      Oh thank you Sally! I am glad that life is (sort of!) getting back to normal! N x

      Reply
  11. Myshell says

    May 11, 2022 at 7:10 pm

    Greetings!
    Can I use 1/2 soy sauce & 1/2 water to make the soy sauce less salty?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 12, 2022 at 2:36 pm

      You could try that Myshell. You can always add more at the end if needed! N X

      Reply
      • Myshell says

        May 24, 2022 at 6:53 pm

        TY!

        Reply
  12. Paul says

    May 11, 2022 at 8:52 am

    How about Kikkoman double -fermented soy sauce? Can I substitute that for dark soy sauce? Mitsuwa doesn’t carry dark. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 11, 2022 at 3:46 pm

      That one is slightly more complex than regular soy but still a light sauce. You can use it (or another light or regular soy) instead of dark if that’s all you have or unless the recipe specifically prohibits the sub! N x

      Reply
  13. Yutlien lee says

    May 4, 2022 at 1:35 am

    My grandson don’t like darker color fried rice, before I use to use seasoning from Shaan brand it’s a packet but now I can’t get it , so I use soy sauce as you say same as light but still the color comes little dark can you please suggest me exactly which sauce I should use so it will not be dark as my grandson is very picky in eating. Thanks Ms.Lee

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 4, 2022 at 3:44 pm

      Have you tried Ayam brand of light soy? I think it might work for a lighter colour and still taste good! N x

      Reply
  14. Ic says

    April 7, 2022 at 3:43 am

    I thought light soy sauce had more sodium than regular dark soy sauce but at the beginning of this article you say the opposite

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 7, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      Hi LC – there are actually 3 types of soy. Light, regular and dark (see the photos in the post). Light soy has less sodium than dark soy but light soy TASTES saltier as the caramel added to dark soy counteracts some of the saltiness. Light soy and regular all purpose soy are pretty much interchangeable but dark soy is much stronger so you can’t use it where a recipe requires light. N x

      Reply
      • Ic says

        April 9, 2022 at 8:50 am

        THANKS FOR THE REPLY HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND

        Reply
  15. leen says

    March 23, 2022 at 11:45 am

    Hi Nagi!
    Thank you for this article, it is very helpful. I was wondering if you know the percentage of potassium as well between light and dark soy sauce?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 23, 2022 at 5:32 pm

      That would vary from brand to brand – you would need to check the info on the bottle Leen! N x

      Reply
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