A LITTLE CLARITY AT THE SOY SAUCE SHELF
Chinese Soy
Sauce Finder.
Cooking tonight, checking a bottle, or standing in the supermarket aisle? Find the sauce’s job—and the words to look for.
Free to use · No sign-up · Product-specific sources
THE SHORT ANSWER
Choose for the job.
Then read the label.
- 生抽 Light soy
- Mainly savory seasoning.
- 老抽 Dark soy
- Deeper color, plus flavor.
“Light” is a style. It does not mean low sodium.
Choose a starting point, then select Show my guide for label terms, examples and a useful next recipe.
How we know: manufacturer sources ↓THE QUICK COMPARISON
Style is not a sodium claim.
Chinese light soy sauce (生抽) mainly supplies savory seasoning. Dark soy sauce (老抽) adds deeper brown color as well as flavor. They have separate jobs in our Cantonese recipes, not a universal swapping ratio.
Light soy 生抽
Look here for savory seasoning in marinades, stir-fries and dipping sauces. “Light” does not mean low sodium.
Dark soy 老抽
Look here when the recipe calls for deeper brown color plus flavor. Do not automatically substitute it for light soy.
Less sodium
A claim about a particular product, not the Chinese light-soy style. Read the sodium value and the serving size.
QUESTIONS FROM THE SHELF
Before you pick a bottle.
Why doesn’t my soy sauce say “light”?
Some North American product names omit it. For example, Lee Kum Kee’s U.S. Premium Soy Sauce corresponds to a Chinese product page naming it 生抽. Match the exact product and country; “premium” or “soy sauce” alone does not establish the style. Sources 2, 3.
Is light soy sauce low sodium?
Not by definition. “Light” is the Chinese style discussed here. If reducing sodium is your goal, look for an explicit sodium claim and check the Nutrition Facts panel. Compare serving sizes too; the sauce’s color is not a sodium guide. Sources: 1, 3, 7.
What can replace dark soy sauce if I only need color?
For an adapted version of our fried noodles, you can omit dark soy and accept a paler result. Do not replace it with the same volume of extra light soy just to chase color. This is a limited editorial adaptation, not a tested conversion for every braise. Sources: 1, 4.
Are light and dark soy sauce gluten-free?
Do not assume either is. The U.S. light and dark products above both list wheat and soybeans; the Less Sodium example also lists soy and wheat. If avoiding wheat, gluten or soy, check the specific label and suitability. Changing the sauce does not automatically make the rest of a recipe suitable. Sources: 2, 4, 7.
How this finder makes its suggestions.
These are fixed editorial rules based on the manufacturer sources below and our existing recipes—not a bottle scanner, store inventory search or kitchen-tested substitution calculator.
Product examples were reviewed . Names and formulas can change. They are not endorsements, a ranking of brands or a promise of local stock. Read your current bottle and check ingredients, allergens and suitability.
- Premium Light Soy Sauce — roles and uses · Lee Kum Kee UK
- Premium Soy Sauce — English label information · Lee Kum Kee USA
- 特級鮮味生抽 — Chinese product name · Lee Kum Kee USA
- Premium Dark Soy Sauce — ingredients and allergens · Lee Kum Kee USA
- 特級老抽 — Chinese product name · Lee Kum Kee USA
- LKK’s Premium Soy Sauce — Canadian label information · Lee Kum Kee Canada
- Less Sodium Soy Sauce — ingredients and nutrition · Kikkoman USA
Need to flag a label or a confusing answer? Send an editorial question.