Our Process
San-J Tamari is brewed with 100% soybeans and no wheat. It displays a noticeably richer and smoother taste than regular soy sauce due to higher concentration of soy protein. Made with no artificial preservatives or additives.
San-J Tamari is certified gluten free, kosher, vegan, and Non-GMO Project verified.
Shoyu is brewed with half soybeans and half wheat. Although it's balanced, the taste is sharper than Tamari due to the difference in raw materials and a stronger alcoholic fermentation.
Chemically processed from hydrolyzed vegetable protein, this type of soy sauce takes only a few days to make and has a strong, unbalanced taste and salty aftertaste, making it completely unlike Tamari and regular soy sauce.
San-J Tamari flavor doesn't flash off under high temperatures. Because regular soy sauce is brewed with half wheat, it contains more aromatic flavor notes in the form of alcohols and esters, which flash off under high temperatures.
San-J Tamari has a richer, milder taste than other soy sauces. More versatile than just a stir-fry seasoning, San-J Tamari is a great flavor enhancer, perfect as a salt substitute, marinade, and table condiment. It can be used in just about any recipe you can imagine, bringing out the best flavor of any ingredient.
San-J Tamari has 37% more soy protein than regular soy sauce. During the fermentation process, soy protein is broken into complex amino acids that give San-J Tamari hundreds of distinct flavor components, creating its unique flavor enhancing abilities, and rich, complex taste.
Tamari's history dates back to 7th century AD, when it was brought to Japan from China. It has been known since ancient times that cooked and fermented soybeans will produce a tasty, dark red paste, which the Japanese call miso. During the miso ripening process, a protein-rich liquid accumulates. This liquid was given the name tamari, or "that which accumulates." Tamari is the origin of Japanese soy sauce.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the manufacturing of soy sauce developed from a household art to a commercial industry. In order to increase production, the thick fermented paste (miso) was replaced by a thinner fermented mash (moromi) that had a much higher ratio of brine to solids. The solids content was later revised to half soybean, half wheat - rather than all soybean, resulting in the current day regular soy sauce (shoyu).
Today, San-J makes its tamari using only the finest ingredients, an original family formula, handed down through eight generations. It is brewed for up to six months, using only the finest high quality soybeans.
The San-J brewing process is unique, and only our fermentation and aging process can create the rich and smooth taste of San-J Tamari. We've embraced the power of nature for over 200 years and we continue to do so, never taking shortcuts.
Soybeans are soaked in water and cooked
in large cylindrical steam cookers.
The cooked beans are formed into nuggets and lightly dusted with "seed koji"
(aspergillus oryzae).
The nuggets are placed in a
temperature and humidity controlled
incubation chamber ("muro").
During the 2 days in the muro, the nuggets develop fuzzy pale yellow mold.
The matured koji is put in fermentation tanks with salt and water, becoming moromi.
The moromi ages for 4-6 months
under careful monitoring.
The moromi is wrapped between layers
of press cloth, stacked in a cage, and
pressed to yield the raw tamari.
The raw tamari is then pasteurized and
filtered to produce the finished product.
The sauce is bottled, cased,
and sent to the market.
San-J Gluten Free Tamari heightens the flavors of any dish
you are preparing, as a simple flavor enhancer, stir-fry,
marinade, or dipping sauce. Whether it's for breakfast,
lunch, dinner or to entertain friends and family,
San-J puts the right touch in every dish.
