639881 Mon Jul 27 16:07:15 -0700 2009 4 31 Home Cooking 0 4895273 I'm almost out of soy sauce and need to buy a new bottle but now I'm seeing Tamari everywhere. Can anybody explain the main diffence between the two as far as taste. Are the two interchangeable? Do any of you have a prefered brand of Tamari to suggest? I really don't use it very often. It's so salty, it seems to overpower everything else. I mostly just use it in the occasional sauce. Thanks Mon Jul 27 16:07:15 -0700 2009 254475 Ritcheyd 1 4895280 We use tamari in my house b/c my husband needs to eat gluten free--while soy sauce is made from wheat, tamari is wheat free. I think the flavor of tamari is a little more subtle, less salty. But they can definitely be used interchangeably in a recipe. Mon Jul 27 16:11:06 -0700 2009 4895273 195118 mom22tots 1 4895363 Soy sauce is best for everyday cooking such as stir frying or seasoning vegetables, as it harmonizes and enhances without overpowering. Tamari, with its stronger flavor, is traditionally used to season longer cooking food such as soups, stews, and baked dishes. Mon Jul 27 16:44:40 -0700 2009 4895273 50258 Axalady 1 4895566 AFAIK, tamari was originally suppose to denote soy sauce that does not use wheat. Sadly, if you start to read labels, there are a few brands that use wheat, so what is the difference? It was also reputedly used to denote a higher grade of soy sauce. This also does not apply all the time. There are no legal definitions as to what can be labeled as tamari, so a manufacturer can use either term as he wishes, so the difference varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and it no longer has definite, across label meaning. As a practical matter, the 2 are interchangeable. If you are after quality, the price will tell you which is which. Mon Jul 27 18:08:27 -0700 2009 4895273 21941 jerry i h 1 4895585 A company called San-J makes the wheat-free Tamari I use in my restaurant. Tamari (at least those I've tried) has a delightfully nutty character and complex flavor - two things that can't be said for run-of-the-mill soy sauce (or "Shoyu"). As said above, some labels of Tamari use wheat (San-J even makes one. They also make lo-sodium versions with and without wheat.) Good Tamari indeed has less of a salty thing going on than does regular soy. I was only 17 when I discovered Tamari. I was on Cape Cod and the evening's dinner was steamer clams, with local farm vegetables (zucchini, summer squash, onions, potatoes) which were also steamed briefly. Our host passed the Tamari and recommended its use on the veggies. It was a heavenly, simple meal. Mon Jul 27 18:17:16 -0700 2009 4895273 270888 shaogo