If you’ve spent any time cooking from this blog, you’ve probably noticed that in some of our recipes, we call for a couple different types of soy sauce. Most often, it’s light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. But if you’re standing in the Asian grocery store aisle, staring at a wall of bottles, you’ll see even more different types, which can get confusing!
The truth is, not all soy sauces are the same — and using the right one really does make a difference in the final dish. Each type has its own flavor profile, color, and purpose, and once you understand the distinctions, you’ll start reaching for the right bottle instinctively.
We’ve partnered with Lee Kum Kee, a heritage brand founded in 1888 (with their invention of another staple Chinese ingredient—oyster sauce), to break down the six types of Chinese soy sauce that we think every home cook should have on their radar.
Here’s what sets each one apart, how to use it (including suggested recipes!) and why each one deserves a spot in your pantry.
Note:
This post was created in partnership with Lee Kum Kee. As always, all opinions are our own.
1. Chinese Light Soy Sauce
What it is: Chinese light soy sauce is the everyday workhorse of Chinese cooking — the bottle you’ll reach for more than any other. If a recipe on The Woks of Life calls for simply, “soy sauce” or “light soy sauce,” this is what we mean.
“Light” here refers to its color and consistency relative to dark soy sauce (more on that below). It’s thinner and brighter than dark soy, and it serves as the flavor backbone for countless Chinese dishes.
A high-quality light soy sauce should be naturally fermented, with water, soybeans, wheat flour, and salt, such as Lee Kum Kee’s Premium Soy Sauce. If you see “hydrolyzed soy protein” in the ingredients list, it’s best to avoid it. Those are actually chemical soy sauces, meaning they are artificially processed and not naturally fermented.
Natural light soy sauce should have a deep umami and mellow aroma, with savoriness and saltiness in balance.
How to use it: Chinese light soy sauce is incredibly versatile! This is your all-purpose soy — use it for dipping, marinating, seasoning, braising, and stir-frying. It works just as well drizzled over a simple bowl of rice as it does in a complex braise. It also bridges Chinese and Western cooking, which is why it truly is the one bottle you can’t be without.
Recipes to try:
2. Chinese Dark Soy Sauce
What it is: Dark soy sauce is the other half of the essential Chinese soy sauce duo. It’s thicker, slightly sweeter, and much darker in color than light soy. That color really is its superpower.
When you see braised pork belly with that gorgeous mahogany glaze, or stir-fried noodles with a deep, rich color, a dark soy sauce like Lee Kum Kee’s Premium Dark Soy Sauce, is behind it.
You typically use it in much smaller amounts than light soy, paired alongside it rather than as a standalone seasoning. A few drops add a bright, glossy, reddish hue to dishes that you simply can’t achieve any other way.
You may also see Mushroom-Flavored Dark Soy Sauce, which has added umami from mushroom extracts. You can use this type of dark soy sauce interchangeably with regular dark soy, especially if you like the flavor of mushrooms or just want to add an extra umami kick to a dish.
How to use it: Dark soy is ideal for braising, marinating, and darkening sauces. Think red-braised pork, soy sauce chicken, stir-fried noodles, and clay pot dishes. Remember: a little goes a long way. Use it in combination with light soy for both color and flavor.
Recipes to try:
3. Seasoned Soy Sauce for Seafood
What it is: This one is a bit of a sleeper hit. If you’ve ever tried to make steamed fish at home and felt like something was missing — like it just didn’t taste quite like the restaurant version — the missing element was the exact right balance of salty, savory, and sweet.
Seasoned soy sauce for seafood is a Chinese light soy sauce with added seasonings that give that slightly sweet, bright flavor balanced with umami. It’s calibrated to complement seafood without overwhelming it. In other words, it enhances the natural flavor of fish and shellfish rather than masking it—a very Cantonese characteristic.
Lee Kum Kee’s Seasoned Soy Sauce for Seafood is a good example. It is made using traditional fermentation methods over 3–6 months, but there is additional sugar to give it that just-right balance.
You can use light soy sauce and sugar to achieve the same result, but if you are a seafood lover and are looking for a ready-made option where you don’t have to think, seasoned soy sauce for seafood is a great option.
You can also use seasoned soy sauce for seafood in place of light soy sauce in regular stir-fries, with the knowledge that there is a little extra hit of sugar in there to balance the salt. That way, you can omit any added sugar in your recipe, giving you a bit of a shortcut.
How to use it: Drizzle it over steamed fish right before serving — ideally along with some hot oil and scallions in classic Cantonese style. It’s also wonderful with steamed scallops, any light seafood platter, and other more delicate dishes.
Recipes to try:
Note that while the recipes above don’t all call specifically for seasoned soy sauce for seafood, you can substitute it for light soy sauce in all these recipes and either omit or adjust sugar to taste!
4. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
What it is: We hear from a lot of readers who are watching their sodium intake, but don’t want to give up the foods they love. Low-sodium soy sauce is here to help, and it has come a long way from the watered-down versions of years past.
Lee Kum Kee’s Less Sodium Soy Sauce is a great option for a specifically Chinese low sodium soy sauce. It has 40% less sodium than their Premium Soy Sauce (see nutrition information for sodium content), but the flavor is balanced — you still get that satisfying saltiness, sweetness, and savory depth.
How to use it: Use it anywhere you’d use regular soy sauce if you’re trying to reduce your sodium intake. It’s also particularly well-suited to use in marinades and braised dishes, when you want a really concentrated soy sauce flavor without knocking out the dish with salt. It’s great as a dipping sauce when you want a lower-sodium option.
Recipes to try:
5. Gluten-Free Soy Sauce
What it is: Traditional soy sauce is brewed with wheat, which means it’s off-limits for anyone with celiac disease or strong gluten sensitivity. For a long time, the options in this category were limited, especially when it came to Chinese soy sauce brands — but that’s changed.
Lee Kum Kee’s Gluten-Free Soy Sauce is fermented with cornstarch instead of wheat, with no artificial preservatives added. Crucially, it doesn’t taste like a substitute — it delivers a rich, savory flavor and aroma that holds up in real Chinese cooking.
While many gluten-free recipes suggest using tamari or coconut aminos, we highly recommend Lee Kum Kee’s Gluten-Free Soy Sauce as a no-compromise option.
How to use it: Use it exactly as you would regular soy sauce — in stir-fries, marinades, dipping sauces, noodle dishes, and beyond. It’s a straightforward swap that opens up the full range of Chinese cooking to people who thought they’d have to sit it out.
Recipes to try:
Note: Recipes above are either gluten-free or gluten-free adaptable!
6. First Draw Soy Sauce
What it is: First draw soy sauce is made from the very first extraction of the multi-fermentation brewing process. Lee Kum Kee’s Supreme Authentic First Draw Soy Sauce is one such example.
Aged 3–6 months through double fermentation and natural brewing, it has a rich, earthy aroma and a deep, natural soybean umami that is complex without being heavy. This is the soy sauce you reach for when the soy sauce itself is meant to be tasted — not just a background note, but the star.
For those who want the same rich, flavor with less sodium, Lee Kum Kee also makes a Supreme Authentic First Draw Sodium Reduced Soy Sauce, with about 30% less sodium while preserving that deep, aromatic soy fragrance and full-bodied taste.
How to use it: First draw soy sauce shines in applications where it takes center stage: as a dipping sauce for meats or vegetables, drizzled over simply prepared proteins, or even — and this might surprise you — tossed with pasta, where a distinct soy sauce flavor is actually an asset.
Recipes to try:
Building Your Soy Sauce Collection
You don’t have to buy all six of these! If you’re just getting started, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce are the essential pair — you’ll use them in almost everything. Use the less sodium or gluten-free versions instead if your diet dictates.
From there, you could add seasoned soy for seafood if you make a lot of fish dishes, and explore the first-draw type of soy sauce if you’re looking to try something with a deeper flavor.
The point is this: soy sauce isn’t one thing. There are so many types, each with its own character and purpose. Getting to know them is one of the most rewarding things you can do for your Chinese cooking — and your dinner table will thank you for it!
For more info on other types of soy sauce (beyond Chinese soy sauces), check out our article, Soy Sauce: Everything You Need to Know.
Happy cooking!
