Illustrations by Ryuji Fujii
Kikkoman’s Shoyu (soy sauce) is one of the sauces which we have been using for 30 over years when it was introduced in the local market. The sauce has a unique taste of soya beans unlike other soy sauce manufactured by the locals, they are comparably good but Kikkoman’s shoyu taste better in dipping or cooking with them.
Soya sauce is indispensable part of Japanese cooking and is now one of the natural seasonings. It originated from China and enhances the flavors of food. It first appeared in Japan more than 400 years ago and identified as the “national flavor” of Japan.
Soy sauce (shoyu) has been produced in Japan since ancient times, but it is only since the early 17th century that it has been mass-produced. Many soy sauce brewers lived in Noda in Chiba prefecture (northeast of Tokyo). At that time, each sauce soy brewer ran their own small business. In Noda, many were from either the Mogi or Takanashi families. The first President, Mr. Shichirouemon Mogi mentioned that Japanese Industries will have to be modernized from now on. If we continue with the private management system, Noda soy sauce manufacturing will get behind times. We have to get together and form a company to achieve development with rational management. We should get the whole family together and we will be “Noda Shoyu Co Ltd” our trademark shall be that old symbol of “Kikkoman.” “Kikko” means the shell of a turtle symbolizing long life and therefore is auspicious. “Man”means ten thousand, many. “Kikkoman” is a name to make millions of people happy. From the merger evolved a rational management system, the name of Kikkoman became known to more people. In 1945, when the American General Headquarters was set up in Japan after their defeat in World War II, the Americans directed food production in their own way. The American remarked that the Japanese should avoid inefficiency in food production especially putting too much time into making soy sauce. You should make it chemically. Many manufacturers followed these rationalized instructions for processing their product, but not Kikkoman.
Soy sauce is brewed just like wine. You can never get delicious soy sauce without processing them through the amount of time with the help of the micro-organisms in the blend of the soy beans, wheat, salt and water. Kikkoman will stay with the traditional recipe. We have to try to persuade the American General Headquarters to understand this method.
How to make naturally brewed soy sauce
Ingredients: High quality soy beans carefully selected, wheat and salt
Steam soy beans, roast wheat then crush. Mix them together.
Add seed starter
Koji culturing (dry mash) is produced three days later
Fermentation: Mix with a brine solution to form moromi (wet mash)
Moromi is left for half year, during which time the action of enzymes and yeast will mature the mixture.
Matured moromi machine pressed to extract the raw soy sauce
Raw soy sauce is hat and pasteurized. This stabilizes the color and aroma.
Inspection and bottling
With the current shortage of ingredients it is necessary to find more efficient way of production. We have to search for a new brewery method to combine Kikkoman’s original technology and the functions of the micro-organism.
In 1948 Kikkoman developed a new brewery method to dissolve soy beans chemically and ferment them with the micro-organism. We will open our new technology to anyone so that we can contribute to preserving the “shoyu culture” Later, then they could get enough ingredients, they went back to the traditional natural brewing system with renewed technology. At houses, people used to pour soy sauce from a one-liter bottle into smaller bottles. I don’t like the dripping and it turns sticky. How can I get rid of it?
We have to make a cruet that is easy to use and prevents dripping. In 1964, an epoch-making drip proof soy sauce cruet was introduced. It was a hit because of its easy to use and good design – a mouth with a special device.
People have different taste according to their region. In Kansai (western Japan) people also use usukuchi shoyu ( light color soy sauce) as well as koikuchi shoyu (dark soy sauce). Light color shoyu will surely expand Kikkoman’s share. People are more conscious about their health nowadays. People would like to have less salt in their shoyu, too. We have to meet the needs of customers. In 1965 and 1966, Gemen shoyu (less salt soy sauce) Usukuchi shoyu (light color soy sauce) made its debut.
People have higher and higher standards for what they eat now. We could make a soy sauce that is of higher quality than the ordinary one.
Kikkoman has been making special soy sauce for the Imperial Household since a long time ago, called “ Goyogura Shoyu” (a soy sauce for imperial purpose). Maybe we could sell this to the public, too. But we use whole soy beans for making “ Goyogura Shoyu” which needs more time for brewing. The price would also be doubled.
In 1990, Kikkoman introduced “Tokusen maru daizu shoyu” (deluxe soy sauce) despite its higher price, people loved it for its good quality and excellent flavor. It opened up a new era for Kikkoman. “Tokusen maru daizu shoyu” tastes like traditional shoyu. This is the original Japanese taste.
I have lost count of the Kikkoman’s products over the supermarket shelves, as there were many soy sauces manufactured by the local Chinese manufacturer who tried to improve their soy sauce to taste uniquely better, however Kikkoman’s soy sauce stands out in the crowd of many sauces as it stick stubbornly to the traditional natural brewing system coupled with the new technology.
Kikkoman’s Shoyu (soy sauce) is one of the sauces which we have been using for 30 over years when it was introduced in the local market. The sauce has a unique taste of soya beans unlike other soy sauce manufactured by the locals, they are comparably good but Kikkoman’s shoyu taste better in dipping or cooking with them.
Soya sauce is indispensable part of Japanese cooking and is now one of the natural seasonings. It originated from China and enhances the flavors of food. It first appeared in Japan more than 400 years ago and identified as the “national flavor” of Japan.
Soy sauce (shoyu) has been produced in Japan since ancient times, but it is only since the early 17th century that it has been mass-produced. Many soy sauce brewers lived in Noda in Chiba prefecture (northeast of Tokyo). At that time, each sauce soy brewer ran their own small business. In Noda, many were from either the Mogi or Takanashi families. The first President, Mr. Shichirouemon Mogi mentioned that Japanese Industries will have to be modernized from now on. If we continue with the private management system, Noda soy sauce manufacturing will get behind times. We have to get together and form a company to achieve development with rational management. We should get the whole family together and we will be “Noda Shoyu Co Ltd” our trademark shall be that old symbol of “Kikkoman.” “Kikko” means the shell of a turtle symbolizing long life and therefore is auspicious. “Man”means ten thousand, many. “Kikkoman” is a name to make millions of people happy. From the merger evolved a rational management system, the name of Kikkoman became known to more people. In 1945, when the American General Headquarters was set up in Japan after their defeat in World War II, the Americans directed food production in their own way. The American remarked that the Japanese should avoid inefficiency in food production especially putting too much time into making soy sauce. You should make it chemically. Many manufacturers followed these rationalized instructions for processing their product, but not Kikkoman.
Soy sauce is brewed just like wine. You can never get delicious soy sauce without processing them through the amount of time with the help of the micro-organisms in the blend of the soy beans, wheat, salt and water. Kikkoman will stay with the traditional recipe. We have to try to persuade the American General Headquarters to understand this method.
How to make naturally brewed soy sauce
Ingredients: High quality soy beans carefully selected, wheat and salt
Steam soy beans, roast wheat then crush. Mix them together.
Add seed starter
Koji culturing (dry mash) is produced three days later
Fermentation: Mix with a brine solution to form moromi (wet mash)
Moromi is left for half year, during which time the action of enzymes and yeast will mature the mixture.
Matured moromi machine pressed to extract the raw soy sauce
Raw soy sauce is hat and pasteurized. This stabilizes the color and aroma.
Inspection and bottling
With the current shortage of ingredients it is necessary to find more efficient way of production. We have to search for a new brewery method to combine Kikkoman’s original technology and the functions of the micro-organism.
In 1948 Kikkoman developed a new brewery method to dissolve soy beans chemically and ferment them with the micro-organism. We will open our new technology to anyone so that we can contribute to preserving the “shoyu culture” Later, then they could get enough ingredients, they went back to the traditional natural brewing system with renewed technology. At houses, people used to pour soy sauce from a one-liter bottle into smaller bottles. I don’t like the dripping and it turns sticky. How can I get rid of it?
We have to make a cruet that is easy to use and prevents dripping. In 1964, an epoch-making drip proof soy sauce cruet was introduced. It was a hit because of its easy to use and good design – a mouth with a special device.
People have different taste according to their region. In Kansai (western Japan) people also use usukuchi shoyu ( light color soy sauce) as well as koikuchi shoyu (dark soy sauce). Light color shoyu will surely expand Kikkoman’s share. People are more conscious about their health nowadays. People would like to have less salt in their shoyu, too. We have to meet the needs of customers. In 1965 and 1966, Gemen shoyu (less salt soy sauce) Usukuchi shoyu (light color soy sauce) made its debut.
People have higher and higher standards for what they eat now. We could make a soy sauce that is of higher quality than the ordinary one.
Kikkoman has been making special soy sauce for the Imperial Household since a long time ago, called “ Goyogura Shoyu” (a soy sauce for imperial purpose). Maybe we could sell this to the public, too. But we use whole soy beans for making “ Goyogura Shoyu” which needs more time for brewing. The price would also be doubled.
In 1990, Kikkoman introduced “Tokusen maru daizu shoyu” (deluxe soy sauce) despite its higher price, people loved it for its good quality and excellent flavor. It opened up a new era for Kikkoman. “Tokusen maru daizu shoyu” tastes like traditional shoyu. This is the original Japanese taste.
I have lost count of the Kikkoman’s products over the supermarket shelves, as there were many soy sauces manufactured by the local Chinese manufacturer who tried to improve their soy sauce to taste uniquely better, however Kikkoman’s soy sauce stands out in the crowd of many sauces as it stick stubbornly to the traditional natural brewing system coupled with the new technology.
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