Ingredient

tamari

See also: soy sauce

A Japanese soy sauce made with little or no wheat, giving it a smoother, less sharp flavor than regular soy sauce (and making it a common gluten-free substitute).

Substitutions

  • soy sauce

Tips & common mistakes

Salt levels vary more between tamari brands than between mainstream soy sauce brands, so substituting it cup-for-cup into a dish calibrated around a specific soy sauce can over- or under-season it -- taste and adjust rather than swapping in blindly.

Storage

It keeps for months unopened in the pantry; once opened, refrigerate it and keep the cap tightly closed, since prolonged air exposure will darken it and dull its aroma even though it won't spoil unsafely at room temperature.