Kikkoman, a Japanese food manufacturer well known for its soy sauces, is probably the most recognizable and easy-to-find brand of soy sauce in the United States.
But can you use Kikkoman in Chinese recipes? What’s the difference between Japanese soy sauce and Chinese soy sauce anyway? We’ll cover that and more in this quick article.
Japanese Soy Sauce vs. Chinese Soy Sauce
Soy sauce was developed in China over 2000 years ago, and later introduced to Japan. Since then, Japanese and Chinese styles of making soy sauce have diverged a bit.
While Japanese soy sauce is made with toasted wheat, Chinese soy sauce is usually made with wheat flour. Japanese versions are also a little bit less salty than Chinese varieties (generally a difference of 100-150 mg of sodium per tablespoon).
In both China and Japan, there is a distinction between dark and light soy sauce.
In China, light soy sauce is a thin condiment used most often for cooking. Chinese dark soy sauce, on the other hand, is a more viscous, sweeter sauce used to add color to dishes.
What is Kikkoman Soy Sauce?
Japanese soy sauce, or shoyu, also comes in both dark and light varieties, but Japanese dark soy sauce is actually more similar to Chinese light soy sauce in that it’s more often used in cooking. Kikkoman’s Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce is considered a dark soy sauce in Japan.
How Is It Used?
We use Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce when making dipping sauces or cooking Japanese dishes like Gyudon or Yakisoba. In general, for Chinese dishes, we prefer to use a Chinese light soy sauce.
That said, if Kikkoman soy sauce is all you can find at your local grocery store, you can certainly use it in place of Chinese light soy sauce in recipes.
Buying & Storing
Kikkoman is probably the best-known soy sauce among American consumers and will be available at your supermarket 9 times out of 10. If not, you can find it online.
Store in a cool, dry place like the pantry. No need to refrigerate.
Our Favorite Recipes That Use This Ingredient
- Gyudon (Japanese Beef & Rice Bowls)
- Sukiyaki (Japanese Beef Hot Pot)
- Oyakodon (Chicken & Egg Over Rice)
- Gyoza (Japanese Potstickers)
- Katsudon (Fried Pork Cutlets with Egg Over Rice)
- Chicken Yakisoba (Stir-Fried Noodles)
- Udon Noodle Soup with Chicken & Mushrooms
If you have further questions about the differences between Japanese soy sauce and Chinese soy sauce, let us know in the comments––we try to answer every single one.
I never tasted Chinese sauce, but in comparison with Korean sauces like Obok or Sing Song, Kikkoman is much saltier and it’s taste seems to be more complex. I use Kikkoman as dip sauce for sushi/sashimi/etc. and Korean sauces for cooking.
I’m trying to make pickled shiitakes. The recipe calls for “usukuchi (light soy sauce). I bought Pearl River Bridge Superior Light Soy Sauce, which is apparently a Chinese light soy sauce? Can I use it or do I need to keep searching?
If I need to keep searching, what’s the easiest Usukuchi to find? Is low sodium soy sauce the same thing as light soy sauce? Thanks!
I generally think that Kikkoman’s soy sauce are more diverged for sushi or seafood since it is smoother. It’s less on salt as an example it’s well light blend flavoring of seafood gently not over powering and having the natural taste with lightly bitterness. On the other hand using Chinese soy sauce like Pearl River Bridge it has a strong natural aroma. I use this soy for dishes a-lot since it bring out the flavoring to the meat and vegetables. When using this I don’t even need to use salt since it has so much sodium it does the flavoring well. But when I need some salt, a pinch of salt on top and pepper will do.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Anthony!
Great post. Can the Kikkoman all purpose sauce be used as one sauce for all my Asian dishes? I mostly cook stir fry dishes, soups and stews, maybe sometimes use for dipping dumplings too. My recipes are mostly vegetarian with egg as an exception but no meat.
But the recipes that I’m following on YouTube, are specific about dark and light versions of sauce.
I’d either buy Kikkoman all purpose soy sauce or healthy boy light and dark sauce. But I’m also very curious to know your perspective on this. Help me please :)
Hi Harry, Kikkoman does have a deeper, more complex flavor than most soy sauce, but sometimes a simple lighter soy sauce like a Thai soy sauce or regular Chinese soy sauce is better for some dishes. In my opinion, dark soy sauce is really essential to have in the pantry, as it adds richness and a nice color to many dishes.
Thanks Bill for taking time to reply. I ended up buying Lee Kum Kee’s light and Premium dark soy sauce :)
American made Kikkoman (glass bottles) is also diff than the imported from Japan (plastic bottles) version. I find the Japanese version muuuuch smoother, less acidic, and having a much more complex soy flavor than just straight up salt. It’s so nice I can use it as a dipping sauce w/o having to dilute it.
Hi Stephen, that is quite interesting, but I do know brands made and/or sold in different countries can be quite different. Thanks for pointing it out!
Seems like it’s same in Russia. It’s taste is still complex, but saltiness makes it impossible to use it in recipes, but as dip for sushi Kikkoman is still best choice.
What about the Korean soy sauces… I feel that they are a bit different as well. Do you think you could explain a bit further? I’ve been using Korean soy sauce when there’s a need for soy sauce. They have dark, light, soy sauce for soups, soy sauce for dressings. I’ve always wished someone would explain.
Hey Sara, we don’t have a comprehensive article on Korean soy sauce, but this website does!
Bc of that very article and some articles I’ve read on the world of soy sauces I went on a quest to taste the difference of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and SE Asian soy sauces, so now I have ab 10 diff bottles in my fridge. Korean (Sempio 701) and Japanese soy sauce (Kikkoman imported from Japan in the plastic bottles) are basically interchangeable. So if you are making Japanese and Korean food primarily, either one of those will work awesome. I also taste tested Chinese Lee Kum Kee Supreme soy sauce which is supposed to be made in the same way the last two are, and also found it extremely similar. Korean “soup soy sauce” is a diff animal, but I’ve read there are newer gen Koreans who can’t be bothered to have more than one bottle of soy sauce so they’ve found a way to doctor up regular soy sauce into soup soy sauce.
Great idea Stephen, that’s the best way to really experience different soy sauces