Our Tamari

Since 1804, when the Sato family first began crafting soy sauce and miso as the San-Jirushi company, a legacy of excellence and tradition was born. For over eight generations, the Sato family has passed down their time-honored methods of brewing the finest Tamari Soy Sauce, a process refined through centuries of expertise.

SAN-J Tamari Soy Sauce is distinct from typical soy sauces, which contain about 40-60% wheat. We make ours using 100% soybeans, with no wheat, resulting in a richer, bolder flavor profile. With a higher concentration of soy protein, our Tamari delivers about 30% more umami, offering a taste that is both deeper and more complex than typical soy sauces.

As the original form of Japanese soy sauce, Tamari’s heritage continues to thrive through our carefully preserved brewing techniques in our brewing facility in Virginia, USA. Each bottle of our Tamari reflects our steadfast commitment to authenticity and quality, providing a truly exceptional flavor experience that enhances the meals and moments of today’s lives.

Our Brewing Process

At SAN-J, we believe in the power of simplicity and quality. We use only the finest ingredients and harness the time-honored process of fermentation to craft the bold, umami-rich flavors that have become our hallmark — without taking any shortcuts.

1 Soybeans are soaked in water and cooked in large cylindrical steam cookers.

2 The cooked beans are formed into nuggets and lightly dusted with “seed koji” (aspergillus oryzae).

3 The nuggets are placed in a temperature and humidity controlled incubation chamber (“muro”).

4 During the two days in the muro, the nuggets develop fuzzy pale yellow mold.

5 The matured koji is put in fermentation tanks with salt and water, becoming moromi.

6 The moromi ages for up to 6 months under careful monitoring.

7 The moromi is wrapped between layers of press cloth, stacked in a cage, and pressed to yield the raw tamari.

8 The raw tamari is then pasteurized and filtered to produce the finished product.

9 The sauce is bottled, cased, and sent to the market.

Why Our Tamari is Better

Do you think it’s important to know what’s in your food and have confidence about the ingredients that go into your body? We make our Tamari with no artificial preservatives, flavors or color added, and it is non-GMO verified by the Non-GMO Project.

San-J Tamari contains no wheat, and it is certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. San-J Tamari is real, brewed soy sauce, not a substitute or alternative. You can still enjoy the full flavor of soy sauce even when you need to remove gluten from your diet.

We also have reduced-sodium options for people looking to cut down sodium intake.

Here at San-J, we want to provide the fullest of flavors to as many people as possible whether they enjoy authentic flavors or have special diet needs.

During our brewing process, we ferment soybeans for up to six months at our Virginia plant using the same methods passed down generations in the family. We invite you to try our carefully crafted sauces and taste the Tamari difference.