Soy sauce (US) or soya sauce (Commonwealth) is a fermented sauce made from soybeans (soya beans), roasted grain, water and salt.
Soy sauce was invented in China, where it has been used as a condiment for close to 2,500 years. In the 7th century, Buddhist monks introduced soy sauce into Japan where it is known as shoyu.
The Japanese word "tamari" is derived from the verb "tamaru" that signifies "to accumulate," referring to the fact that tamari was traditionally produced as the liquid byproduct that was produced during the fermentation of miso.
Japan is the leading producer of tamari. Soy sauce is used widely in East and Southeast Asian cuisines and appears in some Western cuisine dishes.