Miso vs. Soy Sauce

Miso and soy sauce are both classic Japanese condiments made from fermented soybeans, so it’s natural to wonder: does miso taste like soy sauce? Despite their shared origins, the two are as different as coffee and tea. 

Miso is a thick, deeply savory paste made by fermenting soybeans with salt and grains, like rice or barley, inoculated with koji (a culture that gets the fermentation started). Depending on the variety, it can be mildly sweet and mellow, like white miso, or bold and salty, like red miso. The thick texture and robust umami taste make it a great way to season dips, marinades, dressings, and sauces, but it can also be dissolved into soups. 

Soy sauce, or shoyu, is brewed more like a beer. Steamed soybeans are combined with roasted wheat and inoculated with koji before being left to culture. Saltwater is added to this starter, and it’s transferred to a tank or wooden barrel to ferment and age before it is pressed and filtered. The result is an intensely flavorful liquid seasoning. This pourable form factor makes it great for dipping sauces, drizzling as a condiment, and splashing into stir-fries.

So—does miso taste like soy sauce? Not quite. Miso has a rich nutty flavor and creamy mouthfeel, while soy sauce has a sharper, saltier taste and refreshing liquid texture. They are not directly interchangeable, so having both in your pantry is helpful. If you want to know more about how to work miso into your pantry, check out How to Use Miso.