Since the Buddhist monk Kakushin brought back the original soy sauce from China in 1254, soy sauce has become virtually ubiquitous world wide. So what is the difference between Soy Sauce, Shoyu and Tamari? Generally speaking, when people refer to soy sauce, they are referring to the light, fruity, salty taste of shoyu. Shoyu is made from a mash of soybeans and wheat.
At Samovar we decided to use traditional tamari instead, because it imparts a deeper, richer, darker, and more complex taste for our sauces, dips and marinades. Additionally, tamari in its traditional form, is wheat free. As an actual by-product from making soybean-miso-paste, our tamari is hand-made, and aged in cedar kegs for nearly two years by a family who has been doing it for nearly 400 years on the pristine island of Shodo. Because these kegs are no longer produced, our supplier is the only one in Japan making it this slow-aged way.
Sure it’s more costly when you compare it to the supermarket-soy sauce out there full of colorings, preservatives, sugar, salt, and additives. But, because we value health and taste above price, we believed strongly that nothing else compares to the rich, thick, velvety, and deeply flavorful profile of this tamari. Savor it and travel back to an era 400 years ago of hand-tied tatami mats, shoji screens, and bushido etiquette from feudal Japan.
Also, as our tamari is naturally fermented over many months, not only does it taste richer, it is also packed with healthy digestive enzymes and antioxidants.
As the world gets faster and faster and more industrialized, and as 99% of the soy sauce in the market is made in a matter of weeks, we feel really proud to offer you a soy sauce aged over two years ago by a family that takes their time to drink tea, and make our tamari the ancient, sloooooow way. Enjoy!