Lima Tamari Soya Sauce — OKAY

Munch or Dump rates Lima Tamari Soya Sauce by Lima OKAY — score 62/90.

A genuinely clean, traditionally fermented tamari with only five recognizable ingredients - but it is essentially liquid salt, so a little goes a long way.

Why this verdict

• Just five clean ingredients - real fermentation, no caramel color, MSG, or added sugar
• Very high salt (10.3% sea salt) - the main reason this is not rated higher
• Traditionally brewed, organic, and naturally gluten-free (no wheat)
• A condiment used in small amounts, which keeps the sodium hit manageable

Ingredients (5)

• Water (safe) — Used as a basic ingredient in bread.
• soybeans (safe) — The fermented protein source that gives soy sauce its savory umami depth.
• Sea salt (10.3%) (moderate) — Extremely high salt load. Fine in the small amounts you actually use, but the sodium adds up fast if you pour freely.
• alcohol (safe) — Tiny amount used as a processing aid; cooks off during baking.
• Aspergillus oryzae (koji culture) (safe) — The fermentation mold that breaks soy proteins into amino acids - this is what makes tamari, not a chemical additive.