{"id":45810,"date":"2026-09-27T05:21:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T05:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/?p=45810"},"modified":"2026-09-27T05:21:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T05:21:22","slug":"is-soy-sauce-vegan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-soy-sauce-vegan\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Soy Sauce Vegan? Usually Yes, With a Few Catches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Usually, yes.<\/strong> Traditional soy sauce is made from soybeans, wheat, salt and water, fermented for months with the help of a mould. No animals involved. Kikkoman even carries the V-Label from the European Vegetarian Union on its naturally brewed soy sauce, and calls it 100% vegan on its European product page.<\/p>\n

The trouble starts with the stuff built on top of soy sauce. Sweet glazes, teriyaki, oyster sauce and Japanese soup bases can contain honey, oyster extract or fish. Here’s how to spot them. If you’re checking your whole cupboard, our Is it vegan? guide<\/a> goes product by product.<\/p>\n

Four ingredients and a mould<\/h2>\n

Brewed soy sauce happens in two stages. Steamed soybeans and roasted wheat are inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae<\/em> to make koji. The mould produces enzymes that break down protein and starch. The koji then goes into brine, a mash called moromi, where lactic acid bacteria and yeasts keep working for weeks to months depending on the brewery. Press, filter, pasteurise, bottle.<\/p>\n

Kikkoman says its soy sauce matures for around six months. The mould is a microorganism, so it’s no more a vegan issue than the yeast in your bread.<\/p>\n

\"Tofu
Soybeans, salt, water and usually wheat: that’s all classic soy sauce needs. Stock photo: Polina Tankilevitch \/ Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where animal products sneak in<\/h2>\n