Nama Shoyu vs Soy?

[Que]

Just wanted to know what the difference is with Nama Shoyu vs Soy Sauce and if there are any brands that people recommend out there for me to search for. I've been at a couple of stores and I haven't seen any Nama Shoyu, maybe a brand will help my search. In the meantime, I had to share that I've had 4 solid wonderful 100% raw days. I'm feeling great. Thanks.

[Revvell]

http://www.rawganique.com/Food1.htm
http://www.nowagevillage.com/village/product_info.php?products_id=127

[fiddler]

Click here ... BLA is hydrolized (yuck) (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3549&highlight=hydrolized)

I'm dumping out my Braggs Liquid Aminos (BLA) because after reading the above post it just doesn't sit right with me. I've heard Hallelujah Acres no longer recommends this product either. IMO, Alissa and others should at least present this information to folks to let them decide for themselves.

hth, Gil

[fiddler]

Ooops... So sorry, I misread the post. There was still some Nama Shoyu in the link though anyway that might be helpful. Hmmm, its late for me here and I guess I'm still burning about BLA... Alissa also sells Nama Shoyu on her site. Might be worth paying her the extra $1.00 or so to support her since she sponsors this forum. BTW, congrats on the 4 solid days being RAW!!! Going to bed now. cheers, Gil

[SamuelWilson]

Sometimes it helps to have pictures.

[RawTruth]

Nama Shoyu is raw soy sauce. Raw, in this instance, means it's not pasteurized. It is made from soy beans that have been cooked -- it's not possible to make it otherwise.

You should definitely choose Nama Shoyu over regular soy sauce. However, you will have to go to a health food store or a co-op or a store like Whole Foods or Wild Oats to buy it. I'd let my fingers do the walking, though, to save time because not every health food store carried it.

Bragg's is very bad news. Even though Alissa has it in her recipes, she no longer uses it. That's why she offers Nama Shoyu for sale in her online store -- the brand she carries is actually the only one I've ever seen.

Great job on 4 days raw -- do you have Alissa's book yet? She's got a great section on clearing out your kitchen and restocking.

[snowposy]

Hi, thanks for posting this question and thanks to all of you for giving the information. It came just in time for me because tomorrow I'm going to a health food store to purchase items so I can get started on my 30 days.
When I ordered the dehydrator for Alissa's site I also ordered the Nama Shoyu and I'm glad I did but I also was going to get the Braggs Liquid Aminos tomorrow when I go shopping. So happy to know about the Braggs and that now I won't use it.
Thanks again :D
Keep smiling
Snowposy

[Beanie]

What if you have a wheat allergy/celiac? What do you use?? :mad:

[rawpriestess]

I think the best thing to do is to use only Celtic Sea salt, I no longer use Nama Shoyu or Braggs, because of the naturally occuring MSG's in them both.

[HydroRaw]

Hello RawPriestess!

First of all, thanks for continuing to inspire us with your enlightening posts and sensational pictures. Please keep them coming as we can surely use them for motivation!

If I want to do away with both Bragg's Liquid Aminos and Nama Shoyu, will all of Alissa's recipe still be good with Celtic Sea Salt only? If so, what proportion is best? For instance, one of her recipes calls for two tablespoons of Bragg's, how much Celtic Sea Salt can be used as a substitute. Please note that I had already used the "banana" search feature for answers, but would rather hear from the authority who has written 40+ uncooked books. Smile!

Also, what do you do if liquid is needed since Celtic Sea Salt is dry compared to Bragg's and Nama Shoyu? Lemon?

By the way, do you use Light Grey Coarse Celtic Sea Salt for many of your recipes?

I am looking forward to your answers.

Have a wonderfully rawsome day!

Wayne

[Sharon in Colorado]

I wrote this in another post but I can't find it...

Nama Shoyu - Raw but contains wheat
Tamari - No wheat but not raw either
Bragg's - Hydrolyzed
Miso (paste) - No wheat, not raw, but considered "living" from the enzymes

They are all processed but if you are going to use them anyway, try them and see which one you like best, based on your own personal preference.

SamuelWilson - Gee - Which one do you like better!?

[rawpriestess]

Hello RawPriestess!

First of all, thanks for continuing to inspire us with your enlightening posts and sensational pictures. Please keep them coming as we can surely use them for motivation!

If I want to do away with both Bragg's Liquid Aminos and Nama Shoyu, will all of Alissa's recipe still be good with Celtic Sea Salt only? If so, what proportion is best? For instance, one of her recipes calls for two tablespoons of Bragg's, how much Celtic Sea Salt can be used as a substitute. Please note that I had already used the "banana" search feature for answers, but would rather hear from the authority who has written 40+ uncooked books. Smile!

Also, what do you do if liquid is needed since Celtic Sea Salt is dry compared to Bragg's and Nama Shoyu? Lemon?

By the way, do you use Light Grey Coarse Celtic Sea Salt for many of your recipes?

I am looking forward to your answers.

Have a wonderfully rawsome day!

Wayne

**********************
Well, my going raw has been a process.

I now only use the Grey Coarse Celtic Sea Salt, although people have given me the French Atlantic Sea salt and the Pretty Pink Himalayan Salt, I personally only use the Celtic Sea Salt, the others I put on the table for others to enjoy. (no specific reason)

If using 2 Tablespoons of Braggs Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu, I usually just use about 1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt, that I grind in either a mortar and pestal, or in my bamix (hand held blender) with a bunch of other herbs and spices.

I don't use salt on anything, just in recipes.

I add just a tad of tomatoe juice or orange juice or whatever liquid would work well in the recipe.

So, if I am making Alissa's strawberry crepes, where it asks for a tsp of Braggs, in the nut filling, I use 1 tsp of orange or lemon juice (which would enhance the crepes) and about 1/6 the amount of salt, so I use 1/6 tsp, which is just a dab.

Dragggon actually has measuring spoons that he uses when making medicinals, and potions that say "dash", "smidgeon" and "pinch" they look like regular measuring spoons, but are just baby sizes, so adorably cute.

If you are making a neatloaf or nut pate' I would just use tomatoe juice, or even onion liquid, whatever you like the taste of, and some celtic sea salt.

It isn't exactly the same, but I have found that if I use portabellos in a dish, it gives it a nice smokey, warm flavor similar to a soy sauce, so I often portabellos instead of white mushrooms, in a pate' or dish, this seems to make it more savory. Plus we grow our own herbs, and Draggon dehydrates them, so he makes up all kinds of wonderful herbal concoctions, radish pods with orange rind, Sicillian oregano with hyssop and mint. mmmmm

He makes all of our seasonings, dried herbs, and spice mixes, such as Taco, Pizza, Italian, Mexican, Enchilada, neatloaf, Savory Soup (is a new one), Creamy Celery -- this is really good in everything, it is dehydrated wild mountain celery, which is very flavorful, nothing like what you buy in the store, and some radish pods, and rosemary, and hyssop (I think), I use it in a lot of soups and creamy sauces, mmmmmmm, makes them taste very very good, just add some to your cashew cream cheese, or cashew sour cream, and yum.

I love Alissa's recipes, they are so very good, we just add a bit more spice and herbs to ours, because we have so much, although this past summer we did mono fruit meal it quite a bit, now we are into dehydrating squash to warm, and using lots of herbs and spices, they are so delicious this way.

One of our very favorites, is Alissa's pesto (usually used with the mushrooms) and her meatloaf, both we stuff into crookneck and zucchini squash, dehydrate to warm and wonderful, and top with sun dried tomatoes, and yummmmmmmy. Excellent.

OOPS, got waaaay off track, please ignore my ramblings. LOL I must be hungry :o)

[HydroRaw]

Hey RawPriestess! Your loaded response is very appreciative as usual -- very informative, indeed. I guess I just have to experiment with salt and other spices in place of either Bragg's or Nama Shoyu. The idea of using portabellos along with a smidgen amount of Celtic Sea Salt and enough water intriques me as this combination will defintely lend earthy/savory taste in many raw dishes that calls for any soy-based product. It can be easily done with a small food processor. Thanks for the heads up, Wayne

[Raw_Medic]

Thanks RP,
I'm glad I stubled across this thread...I'm going to use your suggestion and use more celtic sea salt in place of the nama shoyu, it's healthier, AND cheaper! I'm finding out more and more ways to make raw more affordable...mainly by reading your threads!

Ursula

[Beanie]

Cheapier? WOW, I like that! :D

[Rawkinlocs]

will all of Alissa's recipe still be good with Celtic Sea Salt only?

Just MHO, there are some things that can be changed such as adding more spice, and then there are some things you can do that will drastically alter the flavor of Alissa's recipes and make them something totally different...so, having said that, if you use the celtic sea salt and find you don't like the recipe, just remember that the Nama Shoyu (use where she mentioned Bragg's) might have been needed as a key ingredient to bring about the flavor that the recipe was designed to have.

Some things would really need that flavor as Nama Shoyu doesn't just render a saltiness, but it also has a distinctive flavor that I'm sure Alissa meant to add in as a part of her recipes.

It's okay if you choose to avoid any and all soy based products such as shoyu or miso, but bear in mind that there are a LOT of foods that are said to not be optimal (such as onions and garlic for example) that are fine during the beginning stages of going raw and usually, one's own body will tell them if they should or should not continue it's usage.

Perfect example, I used to use Bragg's and found no problem with it or had no ill effects from it. I then began to use Nama Shoyu after a bottle was given to me and switched to it because it just tasted better to me. But I'm still not experiencing any problems with it and my body is not in disagreement with it for now. Who knows what might happen later the longer I'm raw, but for now, it's a staple in my kitchen and I love the flavor it renders to various dishes - especially my terriyaki almonds or my stir-dried veggies. I don't think they'd have that "Asian flair" if I didn't use it and for now, that "authentic" flavor is needed by me during this phase of my rawness.

[rawpriestess]

Rawkinlocs,

You are absolutely right.

If Alissa has a specific ingredient in a recipe, it probably needs that flavor.

And although you can exchange cashews for macademias, and there is not much difference in taste or texture.

Changing a flavoring can change the recipe alot.

So, probably the best thing is to make any recipe exactly as written, then if you wish to experiment, you will know what the recipe was supposed to taste like before you changed it.

That is certainly what I've done.

And I can tell you, Alissa makes the most wonderful recipes that I have ever tasted.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Thanks RawPriestess,

I often wondered about how much salt to use to replace the soy saude - 1/6th!!!! I've never seen that anywhere else. I rarely ever make "recipes" but when I did, I went ahead and used the Shuyo sauce becasue I didn't know how to substitue it. (with my thyroid disease, I try to avoid all soy). I'll now try it with the Celtic Sea Salt instead. I also like your suggestion of using juice in place of it too.

<>< Helen of Tennessee