Selecting soy sauces isn’t as simple as it once was.

Soy sauces are made from a fermented and distilled mixture of soybeans, water and, typically, wheat. They come in grades as well as regional variations such as Chinese and Korean.

Here’s a beginner’s guide:

Light: Lighter in color and saltier than other soy sauces. Used in dipping sauces and all-around cooking.

Dark: Slightly thicker, less salty and richer in flavor than light soy sauce. Typically contains molasses or other flavoring. Used for stews, marinades and in glazes for roast meat.

Chinese black soy: A dark, thick soy sauce, similar to kecap manis but flavored only with molasses.

Kecap manis: A dark, thick soy sauce sweetened with palm sugar and flavored with star anise and garlic.

Shoyu: Translated literally from Japanese, shoyu means “soy.” Less salty than most Chinese soy sauces.

Tamari: Wheat-free and slightly stronger in flavor than most Chinese soy sauces. Typically used in cooking rather than dipping sauces.

The Washington Post