A Japanese soy sauce brewery is sharing its traditional brewing method – and it’s probably not what you think
A tasty cupboard essential and much-loved condiment has been causing quite a stir thanks to a series of short videos showing how it is made.
With its deep umami richness and flavour-boosting properties, soy can be thrown in to soups, marinades, sauces, stir-fries and even more to make our favourite dishes even more delicious. Made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt, and water, it is the unusual fermenting process that has food fans gripped.
Taking anywhere from a few weeks to several years, the process involves breaking down the soybeans and wheat with mould cultures (like Aspergillus) to ferment with bacteria to develop its complex taste. Sounds gross, but tastes divine.
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Originating in China over 2,000 years ago, the Yamaroku Shoyu soy sauce brewery has brought the east-Asian favourite bang up to date. In a series of short vids on Instagram and TikTok, Yasuo Yamamoto, the fifth generation of the family, regularly shares the brewing process, leaving followers in disbelief.
In a video entitled “This is how soy sauce is made” – the soy sauce master show the process of squeezing the tasty liquid saying “It smells good.”
However, the soy sauce looks to be pressed on machinery in cloth resembling mats.
He goes on to explain that the “Soy sauce is dripping from the cloth under its own weight” before showing the finished product bottled and ready to go.
With over 2200 comments on that one video alone, many followers were surprised by the traditional production method.
@JenniferHaining expressed genuine shock saying: “Turns out I genuinely don’t know how anything is made ever” while @Acw22 added: “I’m 37 and I’ve never wondered how soy sauce was made. Literally been on this earth 37 yrs and just eating the sauce with no clue of what it actually is until today.”
Some followers wanted to explain that this is not the way that all types of sauce are made, with @bucasbox being just one that clarified “This is real soy sauce, but its only about 1% of the soy sauce you see. Rest of it is industrially made.”
Of course, the unique method has also drawn some smiles from amused followers. @easypeasy said: “So, Soy Sauce comes from squeezing old gym mats? I knew it!” while @Brittond97 added: “Does this hurt the soy?”
So, how is soy sauce made?
At the Yamaroku Shoyu brewery, soybeans, wheat, water, and salt are combined to form a thick paste known as “moromi.” This mixture is then left to ferment in large wooden barrels, which allows natural yeasts and bacteria to flourish and gradually transform the ingredients.
Talking to the Japan Travel website, Yamaroku Shoyu explained why they still use the traditional barrel method. He said: “Simply put, it’s tasty. The reason why the barrel method makes it tastier has not been proven in science, However, the same applies to wine, whiskey and bourbon etc – the soy sauce becomes delicious with it’s aged in a wooden barrel over a long period of time.”
Over months or even years, natural yeasts and bacteria in the wood help ferment the mixture, creating deep flavours. The wooden barrels allow air to flow in, which supports fermentation and adds unique flavours from the wood itself.
Once fermentation is complete, the mixture is pressed to extract the liquid soy sauce. The liquid is then filtered and pasteurised to ensure safety and quality.
Visitors to Japan can pay a visit to Yamaroku to join a guided tour of the brewing process. For the rest of us, we can continue to enjoy our favourite salty sauce feeling that bit cleverer knowing how it’s traditionally made.
