Ito Shoten Tamari

Ito Shoten—located in the Aichi Prefecture on the central Honshu Island of Japan—has been making artisanal tamari for over two centuries. Their tamari is made using four ingredients: water, soy beans, salt and time. Japanese-grown soy beans and natural sea salt are slowly aged in cedar casks for three years, producing a rich, syrupy tamari with a deep umami backbone. This gluten-free Japanese condiment is well-balanced and not overly salty with delicate notes of caramel and wood (from the cedar aging) and an almost meatiness. Refrigerate after opening.

Ito Shoten's Japanese tamari is best highlighted in simple preparations. Brush over grilled meats in the last few minutes of cooking, use as a dipping sauce for sashimi or use to finish slow-roasted fish like salmon and halibut. Or, for an easy, yet stunning vegetarian dish, drizzle over steamed slices of winter squash and top with toasted sesame seeds.