Tamari in Peanut Sauce

by Pam
(Wilmington, NC)

How important is the Tamari or Shoyu in the peanut sauce recipe? We both love Spring Rolls with peanut sauce but I don't think I could find that ingredient around here.

Answer: Tamari is the more traditional, thicker version of today's modern soy sauce. Made from soybeans, it was traditionally brewed as the liquid byproduct in miso production. Because it's a fermented food it has a high enzyme content. The Japanese name for it is "Shoyu."

But then modern processing came along and began to add wheat, pasteurize it and use little or no fermentation. So today you have a choice between cheaply made soy sauce and the higher quality versions including fermented tamari which is made with some wheat or wheat-free, and nama shoyu which is traditionally aged (up to 4 years), raw and unpasteurized.

Health food stores and natural food stores are a common place to find tamari and nama shoyu. Or you can order tamari and nama shoyu online.