Soy sauce is a pretty familiar ingredient to most cooks, but what about “dark soy sauce?” What’s the difference between dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce, and do you need to have dark soy sauce in your pantry?
The short answer is yes. Dark soy sauce is one of our 10 Essential Chinese Pantry Ingredients, and in this article, we’ll tell you why.
What Is Dark Soy Sauce? How’s It Different from Regular Soy Sauce?
Dark soy sauce (lǎo chōu, 老抽) is thicker, darker, and slightly sweeter than regular or light soy sauce. Like regular soy sauce, it is used to flavor dishes, but more importantly, it’s used to darken the color of sauces, fried rice, noodles, etc.
Most people think that dark soy sauce has less salt than regular soy sauce. However, dark soy sauce actually has about 15% more sodium than regular/light soy sauce. Its mild sweetness offsets the saltiness, making it only seem less salty.
How Is Dark Soy Sauce Used?
It’s commonly used in braised/red-cooked dishes like Red Cooked Pork, or to achieve that tantalizing dark amber color in stir-fries like Beef & Broccoli or rice/noodle dishes like Supreme Soy Sauce Fried Rice and Cantonese Pan-fried Noodles.
You only need a teaspoon or two to take a dish from pale to amber brown. Taste often when adding more dark soy sauce, so you don’t over-season your dish!
See the photo below of adding dark soy sauce to white rice…
And what the rice looks like after it’s been stirred in (along with eggs and scallions):
Buying & Storing
We prefer Pearl River Bridge Superior Dark Soy Sauce. You can buy it in 500ml bottles or larger bulk jugs (1.8L). You can also try Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce.
You may also see other varieties, such as Mushroom Flavored Dark Soy Sauce and Double Black Soy Sauce.
Mushroom Flavored Dark Soy Sauce has a bit of extra (you guessed it) mushroom flavor, which adds umami to dishes. You can use it interchangeably with regular dark soy sauce in recipes. Double Black Soy Sauce is basically soy sauce with added molasses, making it darker, thicker, and a bit sweet.
You can see below that the light soy sauce on the left is pretty thin in consistency, while the dark soy sauce in the middle is thicker and darker. The double black soy sauce on the right has a consistency similar to dark soy sauce.
If you don’t have a Chinese market near you, you can also find dark soy sauce online. Store your dark soy sauce in a cool, dry place like the pantry. No need to refrigerate.
What Can I Substitute for Dark Soy Sauce?
A small amount of dark soy sauce is usually called for in a recipe mostly for color, so if you don’t have any, you can simply omit it. Your dish will be lighter in color, but still tasty.
That said, if you really want your version of a recipe to look like the photographs, and that recipe calls for dark soy sauce, don’t leave it out.
If you have double black soy sauce on hand, use it in place of dark soy sauce. You can also use mushroom flavored dark soy sauce interchangeably with regular dark soy sauce.
You can also mix together molasses, regular soy sauce, and a pinch of sugar to make a passable substitute.
Our Favorite Dishes That Use This Ingredient:
- Chinese Stir-fry Sauce
- Cantonese Soy Sauce Pan-fried Noodles
- Supreme Soy Sauce Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Soy Sauce Chicken Bowls
- Soy Sauce Chicken
- Caramelized Soy Sauce Noodles with Sweet Potato & Mushrooms
- Hong Kong Style Clay Pot Rice
If you have further questions about dark soy sauce, let us know in the comments––we try to answer every single one.
Dark Soy Sauce Substitution
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (regular or light soy sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon molasses
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
Substitution Option A:
- Double black soy sauce or mushroom flavored dark soy sauce (both can be used interchangeably with dark soy sauce)
Substitution Option B:
- 2 teaspoons regular soy sauce mixed with 1/2 teaspoon molasses and 1/8 teaspoon sugar.
Before I read this article, I had purchased “sweet soy sauce.”. I asked an Asian lady at the store how to use it and she said it was used for color rather than flavor. It is thick and dark, somewhat salty, and is very mildly sweet with a slight molasses-like flavor. Are you familiar with this, and do you think it can be used instead of dark soy sauce?
Hi Lilly, you should be able to use it in place of dark soy sauce, yes.
Thank you so much for the substitute recipe! I recently learned I have a soy allergy, which has screwed up my whole soy-based diet. I’ve found a soy sauce that’s made with Fava beans instead of soybeans, but wasn’t sure how I was going to substitute dark soy sauce. I’m one step closer to being able to eat my favorite foods again!
You’re very welcome, Amanda! :)
Just started viewing your website..tried fried rice recipes and lo mein. Turned out wonderful. Thank you. Question: is Tamara sauce the same as dark soy sauce? Looking forward to trying more of your recipes .donna
Hi Donna, tamari and dark soy sauce are quite different. Tamari is a Japanese soy-based seasoning that is generally made without wheat and is a good option for people who require a gluten-free diet. Dark soy is made with wheat and is darker.
I went to my local Asian market to get another bottle of dark soy sauce but they didn’t have it so they said that kimlan brand soy paste was the same. I would appreciate your opinion on this and if I did use it will it change the taste. Thank you
Hi Joan, we are not super familiar with soy paste!
Hi Joan, Kimlan soy paste is definitely not the same as dark soy sauce but it is quite tasty. I would describe it as a thicker version of regular/light soy sauce.
Made this with what I had on hand, came out the best of all my previous attempts, I didn’t have dark soy so I used dark brown sugar and reg soy sauce, I had rice already cooked but just plain white rice, and I used a can of mixed veggies,
Also used sherry cooking wine to finish, I have dark soy and shopping on the way as I had to order online
Sorry posted on wrong page, was supposed to go to shrimp fried rice,
No worries! Glad you enjoyed the shrimp fried rice!
Thank you for the info. Very educational.
You’re welcome, Lily!
Thank you for the explanation of soy sauce. I have a question,I used to eat a Chinese restaurant the waiter told me the soy sauce was a finishing sauce .It was very black an kind of thick. he told me I think he said it was made by WY or YU company . It has 22 years since the restaurant closed , an I can not find the same taste anywhere.I have bought dozens of bottles an can never get the same taste. If you could please HELP I would APPRECIATE it.
Thank you Bob
Hi Bob, what was the sauce put on top of? Was it rice noodle rolls at a dim sum restaurant or something like that? Try the sauce from this recipe: https://thewoksoflife.com/shrimp-rice-noodle-rolls-cheung-fun/
I think my dark soy sauce has expired. I opened it, and it had a strong alcohol smell. But by the time I noticed, I had already added 1 tsp into my wok to darken my dish! Will I get sick if I eat it?
Thank you for this explanation. Super helpful! Unfortunately I am gluten free but can not seem to find a gluten free dark soy sauce anywhere. Do you know of any?
My daughter is GF too, we use the Tamari and I’m going to try and mix it with the molasses and sugar to see if I can get the dark soy texture/consistency.
Good idea Heather!
I can’t seem to find the dark soy sauce that I see many Asian people use. In the u.k the dark soy sauces in the supermarket are the watery kind. They don’t give much colour to the dishes. I went to a local Chinese store and the same thing rows and rows of watery dark sauce. Very strange!
Hi Zara, try looking for Pearl River Bridge or Lee Kum Kee dark soy sauce.
Thanks I went back to the Chinese store and got the Lee Kum Lee Premium Dark Soy Sauce. I did notice it the first time round but it looked watery like the supermarket own brand I got so I avoided it. Thank you so much.
If you’re looking for a thicker and not watery dark soy sauce get the Thai Dark Soy sauce. These are thicker and less salty, usually used for Thai dishes.