Tamari Shoyu (たまり醤油)
The wheat-free (or nearly wheat-free) soy sauce of the Chubu region - rich, thick and dark, made mainly from soybeans.
| JAS type | Tamari - made mainly from soybeans, with little or no wheat |
|---|---|
| Home ground | Chubu region (Aichi, Mie, Gifu) |
| Use | Sashimi, teriyaki glazes, and cooking where wheat must be avoided - label check required |
Tamari began as the liquid that pooled on top of maturing soybean miso in the Tokai region, and it is still made in that image: soybeans first, long maturation, a sauce that pours thicker and tastes deeper than koikuchi.
Because most tamari is brewed without wheat, it is the usual Japanese answer for gluten-free cooking - but 'usually' is not 'always'. Some tamari contains a small amount of wheat, and gluten-free labelling rules differ by country, so the individual label decides. The dedicated page on tamari and gluten-free handles the exact wording.
See also
Tamari and gluten-free: the accurate versionRelated page in this guide.Soybean miso
Related page in this guide.
Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), 'Traditional Foods in Japan'; JAS soy sauce standards; Umami Information Center; Kikkoman official information; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Checked 6 November 2026.