If you've ever stood in the aisle squinting at a soy sauce bottle wondering if today's the day you accidentally gluten yourself over pad thai — hi, same. Let's clear this one up for good.
Short answer: Traditional soy sauce is made with wheat, so no, it's not naturally gluten-free. Tamari, on the other hand, is usually gluten-free (though always double check — some tamari brands still sneak in a little wheat, which feels like a personal attack).
Here's the thing about condiments in general: they're the sneakiest part of going gluten-free. Nobody warns you about the soy sauce. Or the malt vinegar. Or teriyaki sauce, which is basically just soy sauce's cooler older sibling and just as guilty. A few more to watch:
- Worcestershire sauce — many brands contain gluten, some don't. Read every time.
- Malt vinegar — made from barley, skip it.
- Some salad dressings — thickeners can hide gluten. Ranch is usually safe, but always check.
- Soy-based marinades — same soy sauce problem, different bottle.
My rule after years of doing this: if a condiment has a long ingredient list and I don't recognize a word in it, it's not coming home with me. Boring, but it's kept me safe.
We've found some genuinely great gluten-free condiment brands through the box over the years — if you want us to keep doing that research for you, that's kind of our whole thing. 😉
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