soy sauce

noun

variants or less commonly soy or chiefly British soya sauce

: a brown, salty liquid that is made by subjecting soybeans and roasted grain (such as wheat) to long fermentation in brine and is used especially in Asian cooking and as a condiment

At its most basic, soy sauce is a fermented liquid made from soybeans and wheat. Soybeans contribute a strong, pungent taste, while wheat lends sweetness.

—Lisa McManuse

My most recent kick has been Chinese. For more than a year now I've been stir-frying everything in ginger and garlic and adding soy sauce.

—Andrew A. Rooney

see shoyu

Examples of soy sauce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Authentic soy sauce must be brewed in a kioke, a cedar barrel. —Joan Gaylord, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2025

Get the recipe > Japchae (Stir-Fried Glass Noodles) Toss slippery sweet potato noodles with soy sauce, crunchy veg, and tender, juicy beef to make this crowd-pleasing Korean party dish. —Megan Zhang, Saveur, 16 Jan. 2025

Various types of koji have long been a staple method for making spirits like shochu and sake, as well as nonalcoholic products like soy sauce and miso. —Clay Risen, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025

What’s In Honey-Garlic Chicken? Aside from the aforementioned honey and garlic, this recipe uses fresh ginger, butter, soy sauce, and the real key ingredient, chili-garlic sauce, to flavor the chicken thighs. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

soy sauce

noun

: a brown sauce made from soybeans and used especially in Chinese and Japanese cooking