Soy Sauce: Common Questions

Soy sauce seems to be such an ​integral part of the sushi experience​. I 

was eating sushi that I cooked at home and couldn’t help but become 
interested about the different etiquettes of its use, and research the 
health issues that come along with this condiment. 
Does Sushi Need Soy Sauce? 

 
Firstly, soy sauce is never required to be put on the sushi to add to its 
taste. Generally sushi eaters don’t apply condiments to the sushi roll 
in order to maintain the pure flavor of the roll. 

Usually the only time sushi is applied is with the ​dipping of soy sauce 
to foods like ​fish sushi or sashimi​. But it is optional depending on the 
sushi restaurant, because sometimes sushi chefs mix their own 
sauces. 

Personally I love to add a ton of salty condiment to my veggie rolls 

that are too bland. This way I can taste not only the texture of the 
ingredients but the salty-sweet of the soy sauce.  

Traditional Application 

However, in Japan this is clearly not the case and some chefs already 
pre apply the necessary sauce. 

Hence to give diners the perfect eating experience, as you can see in 
this clip from Jiro Dreams of Sushi: 

Furthermore, you will notice in this video how master Jiro meticulously 
handles the condiments to perfection. Showing the carefulness of 
each step and the mastery of the application of soy sauce. 

So you can see that the traditional application is to give the sushi a 
balance with soy sauce and not overpower the other textures.  

How to Properly Dip Sushi in Soy Sauce 

Though if you plan on using the c
​ ondiment for your sushi​, it follows a 
simple steps anybody can do​. Traditionally, sushi diners follow a 
specific way to properly douse the sushi. 

Regular Rolls 
Firstly as stated before, you want to keep the use of sauce to a 
minimum to avoid destroying the careful balance of flavors.  

So if the itamae(sushi chef) has already flavored it, don’t try to add 
more. Because this way you can enjoy the s ​ imple balanced flavors 
that are already there. 

Secondly, the way to properly give an additional saltiness to your sushi 

roll is through slightly touching the ​seaweed nori​ that’s on the outside 
to the sauce. Or only a bit on the top of the roll. Since ​the rice tends to 
absorb too much of the saltiness, and oversaturate.  

Also you can use the yellow ginger strips on the side as a sauce brush 
on the sushi. Which allows you to control the amount of sauce that 
gets added to your sushi, by dipping the strip into the condiment. 

Fish Rolls 
However, the process is a tiny bit different if you’re planning on 
dipping sushi rolls made with fish. 
So for fish rolls, never take the topping apart(called “neta”). Because 
this symbolizes a huge disrespect to the itamae who spends effort to 
make it. 

Following, since fish sushi doesn’t have seaweed wrap, you don’t dip it 
like it is a regular roll by either the top or the nori. 

Hence you turn the sushi roll sideways then downwards while 
grabbing hold of the neta to dip it on the sauce. 

Additionally you can see more of this sushi sauce etiquette in this 
video: 

White Soy Sauce VS Light Soy Sauce 

White Soy Sauce 

Firstly white soy sauce can be said to be very similar to Chinese rice 
wine and dark sauce in that it has a very subtle flavor. Moreover not 
only is its flavor different than regular soy sauce, so is the 
fermentation process. 

Regular sauce is made by roasting wheat along with steamed 

soybeans before the fermentation process. For white soy sauce, the 
soybeans are roasted and wheat is steamed to turn the starch into 
sugar to get the subtle sweetness. 

Additionally it is a popular condiment that’s great for sushi restaurants 

to add a salty flavor without dominating the other flavors. Which is 
created through shortening the fermentation to create the lighter 
texture and sweet aroma.  

Light Soy Sauce 

First of all, the light soy sauce is most often used in Chinese cooking 
and is a lot richer and less salty than regular soy sauce.  

And the content is thin with reddish-brown color. Comparatively it has 

higher sodium than white soy sauce and is for light seasoning and 
dipping. 

Also it gives dishes more of a subtle umami flavor, and is commonly 

used in Kansai cuisine in Japan.  

Is Sushi with Soy Sauce Healthy? 

  
Firstly, although soy sauce is okay if it is used sparingly. However, this 
doesn’t mean using a lot of soy sauce is okay for everyone. 

Recommended Intake 

Especially for individuals who have problems with high blood 

pressure. Because in a single tablespoon of regular soy sauce already 
contains more than 50% of the daily recommended value. And that is 
900-1225 milligrams of sodium.  

Hence even a tablespoon of soy sauce for your sushi already turns it 
into a high-sodium food. Because even reduced-soy sauce still 
contains around 600 mg per tablespoon. 

Soy Sauce Healthy Benefits 

Contrastingly soy sauce might actually enable individuals to improve 

their digestive system. Because the fermentation of the sauce 
promotes the growth of certain beneficial bacteria in the gut. 

Meanwhile sodium is also a necessary part of our human diet. For 

bodily functions, regulating nerve transmission, and blood pressure. 

In this ​source​ scientist has shown that this condiment actually 

contains anti-allergenic abilities. Furthermore the participants in the 
experiment exhibited improvements in their allergies. 

Moreover, it actually shows to be high in a natural antioxidant called 

isoflavones. Which helps your body slow down the aging process, 
decrease chances of heart disease, and increase bacteria protection. 

Soy Sauce Side Effects 

While I had written about many of the healthy benefits that are 
associated with this condiment. There are also many side effects 
from o
​ ver-significant amounts​ you should be careful of. 

First of all, you have to be careful about which soy product you 
choose. Because many in the market are made with carcinogenic 
compounds and additives to enhance the color.  

And one of these dangerous carcinogenic compounds, as research in 

this​ ​source​ has found, contains a chemical known as 3-MCPD. Which 
is deeply connected tumors and infertility.  

Although we talked about the health benefits of isoflavones, there are 

also negatives which you may not be aware of. Although it is a strong 
antioxidant, it is also a chemical which acts like estrogen. 

Following, this chemical contains properties that block out the 

naturally produced estrogens from binding to receptors.  

And it can decrease male prostate cancer risk. But too much can have 
adverse effects on female fertility and reproductive development in 
both genders. 

Furthermore, overconsumption can cause interruption to the synthesis 

of thyroid hormones and increase risk of kidney stones. 

Soy Free Sushi Options 

Nonetheless, the fact that everything from pickled vegetables to sushi 
onigiri has soy condiment can be troubling for those who are allergic 
to soy. Moreover it can be very hard to avoid, since a large part of the 
Japanese cooking and fermentation involves soy products. 

Hence the best way to avoid coming in contact with soy is to eat rolls 
that are of fruits and veggies. Additionally make sure there are no 
sauce or marinade, and that the sauce is coconut aminos instead. 

Besides veggie rolls like avocado roll or cucumber roll, there’s also 
paleo California roll and sashimi(raw fish). However, the taste of raw 
fish is not always a favorite for everyone. So you would want to have a 
taste of tuna roll before taking this huge jump to sashimi. 

Food Journey 

Besides avoiding foods that are likely of soy, another thing you can do 
to minimize the risk of soy is keep a journal.  

Which is done through eating a small​ bite size of the sushi roll​ to test 
if the food is soy free. Then in the food journal you can record any 
signs of symptoms within the next hour or day. 

Even though this takes a lot of time, it can be super helpful for 
avoiding foods in the future knowing that you’re intolerant to it.  

Furthermore, the testing will help you recognize similar foods. So the 
testing will eventually shorten and be less frequent.