White Soy Sauce (Shiro Shoyu)

White soy sauce — shiro shoyu — is brewed with mostly wheat and very little soybean, producing a pale amber liquid that is saltier and lighter than regular soy. Unlike standard dark soy, it will not muddy the colour of a delicate dish — making it the choice for clear broths, dashi-based dressings, raw fish, cream sauces, and pale vegetables where you want savory depth without the dark stain. The flavor leans toward salt and clean umami rather than the deep, roasted notes of dark soy, so use less than the bottle suggests at first. Find it at Japanese groceries; refrigerate after opening to keep its delicate aroma.