Soy Sauce Breakdown: Which Soy Sauces Are Truly Canadian?
Author: Matthew Shane
Published: Sept 24, 2025
Soy sauce might not scream Canadian the way maple syrup or poutine does, but it’s a staple in kitchens from coast to coast. Whether you’re marinating salmon, perfecting fried rice, or adding umami to Tuesday-night leftovers, the salty bottle in your fridge is a fixture. But who actually benefits from each bottle? That’s where The CANADA List comes in.
We’ve catalogued over 50 different soy sauce products sold in Canada, from small-batch BC brands to supermarket juggernauts and global imports. Each is scored on Canadian ownership, manufacturing, sourcing, and job support.
🍁 Canadian-Owned & Made
These brands are Canadian-owned, manufactured here, and support local jobs—though many still rely on imported ingredients.
- Golden Dragon (Favorite Foods Ltd.): Family-run since 1971, manufacturing in Burnaby, BC. Strong Canadian production footprint.
- Naked Natural Foods: Vancouver-based and Canadian-owned. Some SKUs are US-made—always check the label.
- Wing’s: Family business with major production in Toronto and Edmonton. Most Chinese-style soy sauces are made here, but some specialty lines are imported.
- China Lily: Iconic, now produced in Scarborough by the Lee family. 100% Canadian-owned and made.
- Lucky Koi: Confirmed made in Canada, but public info is limited. Look for this niche brand in specialty shops.
🏷️ Private Label: Check the Fine Print
Major grocery brands—Canadian-owned and often “prepared in Canada,” but suppliers can change. Always check for “Prepared in Canada” on the label.
- Name (Loblaw)
- Compliments (Sobeys)
- Irresistibles (Metro)
🏭 Foreign-Owned, Made in Canada
- VH (Conagra): US-owned, but production of VH soy sauce occurs in Canada—supporting local jobs, even as profits go south.
🚢 Foreign-Owned & Imported
These brands are foreign-owned, imported, and have no manufacturing or meaningful sourcing in Canada. Buying them supports jobs and supply chains abroad—not here.
- Kikkoman: Japanese company. Most Canadian-market bottles are brewed in Wisconsin or California, sometimes Japan. No Canadian production.
- San-J: Japanese-owned, with North American tamari brewed in Virginia, USA. No Canadian facilities; sometimes uses North American soybeans, but manufacturing isn’t local.
- Lee Kum Kee: Headquartered in Hong Kong; Canadian bottles are typically made in China or the US (California). No Canadian production or sourcing.
- Golden Mountain: Thai-made staple of many Asian groceries, fully imported, no Canadian footprint.
- ABC: Indonesian-owned, all soy sauce brewed in Indonesia; distributed in Canada by Kraft Heinz, but never made here.
- Maggi: Swiss-owned (Nestlé). Soy sauces are produced internationally (often Asia). No Canadian production.
- La Choy: US brand owned by Conagra; all soy sauce produced in the US, then distributed in Canada.
📌 Bottom Line
A wall of options at the grocery store can give the illusion of variety, but most soy sauce brands on those shelves are owned and made elsewhere. Only a handful have any real ties to Canadian workers, processors, or food systems. The point of The CANADA List is simply to cut through that noise—so you can see which bottles actually keep some of your dollars in Canada. And if you spot a Canadian-made brand we’ve overlooked, let us know. Adding it helps keep this list, and the food economy it reflects, just a little more Canadian.
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