San-J's tamari is a tasty, wheat-free alternative to regular soy sauce.

We adore Asian food and often make it for guests — veggie maki rolls, spicy shrimp stir-fries and steaming noodle soups. So one day when our gluten-intolerant friend came to visit (she can’t eat anything containing wheat proteins), we ditched the soy sauce because it uses wheat in the fermentation process and grabbed the tamari. Now we’re hooked and use the substitute all the time.

Our favorite brand is San-J, which makes a luscious line of mahogany-brown sauces that taste just like soy, but contain no wheat, artificial additives or preservatives. We particularly like the silver label Organic Wheat Free Reduced Sodium Tamari found in most supermarkets. It contains 25 percent less sodium than regular tamari, yet has a robust, savory flavor and is smooth, not sour, like some reduced-sodium soy sauces.

After digging around, we discovered that San-J is part of a Japanese family-owned miso and tamari business founded in 1804! For more than 200 years the family has followed the same methods for brewing their tamari sauces. San-J makes lots of other sauces that are also gluten-free, like Teriyaki, Thai Peanut and smoky Asian BBQ, which we love to drizzle over salmon filets before broiling. The company also makes gluten-free tamari-based salad dressings in Sesame, Ginger and Peanut, delicious poured over warm soba noodles tossed with sliced chicken, baby spinach and crunchy water chestnuts.

And speaking of crunchy, San-J’s black sesame tamari rice crackers are so lip-smacking, we nearly demolished the entire package in one sitting. Super snappy and chock full of black sesame seeds, they’re thick, satisfying and fat-free (except for the seeds). The crackers also come packed with white sesame seeds or made with brown rice.

You certainly don’t have to be gluten intolerant to enjoy tamari in all its forms. However, since restaurants and grocery stores increasingly offer gluten-free options — indicating the growing desire for wheat-free products — it’s nice to know there are some appetizing choices out there for those who need them.

Have you ever tasted tamari?

Tags: Agriculture, Crops, Cuisine, Fermented foods, food, Food and drink, Gluten, Hospitality/Recreation, Japanese cuisine, Sauce, Soy products, Soy sauce, Vietnamese cuisine, Wheat, wheat-free products