Are there any more naturally brewed soy sauce and what are the brands?

My search on various souirces in Google tells me that soy sauce was already a food in China 5000 yrs ago, long before Europeans started to grow soy beans. Soy sauce was a cheap source of proteins for the Chinese people way back when, even more than meat.

It seems there are two ways to make soy sauce. One is the natural brewed way, but it takes months for the fermentation, and in the case of dark soy sauce, even longer. The other method is by synthetic hydrolysation. This is the unhealthy way and gives a mechanical taste.

Of cos, we shld all go the first way. So are there brothers out there who can share their knowledge and expereince which brands are those that are naturally brewed, how to identify them etc.?

Thanks.

kingrant said:

My search on various souirces in Google tells me that soy sauce was already a food in China 5000 yrs ago, long before Europeans started to grow soy beans. Soy sauce was a cheap source of proteins for the Chinese people way back when, even more than meat.

It seems there are two ways to make soy sauce. One is the natural brewed way, but it takes months for the fermentation, and in the case of dark soy sauce, even longer. The other method is by synthetic hydrolysation. This is the unhealthy way and gives a mechanical taste.

Of cos, we shld all go the first way. So are there brothers out there who can share their knowledge and expereince which brands are those that are naturally brewed, how to identify them etc.?

Thanks.

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Donot think there are people still naturally brewing soy sauce these days. Where I live, there was an old man for years, hawking his home brewed soy suace in the dark brown bottle & carry in wicker basket. Old man, went to soy heaven already...:p

Anyone can confirm this, I use to hear this from the older folks, that they use human hairs are used to ferment the soy beans faster, is that true. What do they use to make dark sauce sauce? they add caramel?? or molasses?

The founder of Tai Hua also the chairman of Jiu Xian Gong九仙宫
It is 白进泉?
九仙宫 founded by my ancestors.

i think all china soy sauce are for mass production, max production. max profit.

only japanese keep traditional thingy alive today,
chinese only think about profit


http://www.kaneiwa.net/us/tennen_shoyu.htm

http://www.amazon.co.jp/フンドーキン-1104-吉野杉樽天然醸造醤油-500ml/dp/B0036TFXTA


$10 sin dollars for 500ml

kingrant said:

My search on various souirces in Google tells me that soy sauce was already a food in China 5000 yrs ago, long before Europeans started to grow soy beans. Soy sauce was a cheap source of proteins for the Chinese people way back when, even more than meat.

It seems there are two ways to make soy sauce. One is the natural brewed way, but it takes months for the fermentation, and in the case of dark soy sauce, even longer. The other method is by synthetic hydrolysation. This is the unhealthy way and gives a mechanical taste.

Of cos, we shld all go the first way. So are there brothers out there who can share their knowledge and expereince which brands are those that are naturally brewed, how to identify them etc.?

Thanks.

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You stupid ugly dickhead. Get your spelling correct first.

http://www.kaneiwa.net/index.htm

kingrant asser said:

You stupid ugly dickhead. Get your spelling correct first.

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Thank you for yr correction. I am sure I have other typos elsewhere. Pls do us all a favour - make yrself useful and productive and go and find them and bring them to our attention.

We may give you a fat angpow.

One day at the invitation of a friend I went to a farm somewhere in old Ama Keng. The guy had pits dug into the ground and he was making soya sauce. After seeing it, I always bought branded ones. The word shock is a mild description. The filth around it was unbelievable.

Till today the branded stuff such as Yeos cannot match the cottage industry brewed stuff but it is a worthy sacrifice.

singveld said:

only japanese keep traditional thingy alive today,
chinese only think about profit

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Never appreciated the traditional way of doing things until I got health problems & had to watch what I ate.

Notice that Japanese sauces & foods have healthier ingredients without the chemicals you normally find in other mass produced products e.g. msg

So if you can afford it, buy Japanese

scroobal said:

One day at the invitation of a friend I went to a farm somewhere in old Ama Keng. The guy had pits dug into the ground and he was making soya sauce. After seeing it, I always bought branded ones. The word shock is a mild description. The filth around it was unbelievable.

Till today the branded stuff such as Yeos cannot match the cottage industry brewed stuff but it is a worthy sacrifice.

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Was this the Ama Keng Village, where there is a big round sign that says so, in the days of old? Never had a chance to really be chummy with the villagers back them....those 'slavery days' aka NS.

I am still asking the question, is it true that, they add human hairs to aid fermenation...never mind the smell fermenting the soy beans.:p

kingrant said:

It seems there are two ways to make soy sauce. One is the natural brewed way, but it takes months for the fermentation, and in the case of dark soy sauce, even longer. The other method is by synthetic hydrolysation. This is the unhealthy way and gives a mechanical taste.

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There is no such a thing as "naturally" brewed" as if man dont do anything to make it, the product would not be there.

You have listed out 2 different methods in producing soy sauce. How can soy sauce be "naturally brewed" when man still need to provide the method of fermentation, which itself is a man-made process.

You are just splitting hairs. If it is man-made, the word is 'artificial' and not 'natural'. Here naturally brewed means allowing the action of yeast and bacteria from natural organisms to act on the soy sauce. Because of this natural process, the process takes months. The man-made version merely involves human action to combine certain chemical compounds together to create the flavour, and does not involve fermentation. It is the latter one that poses health risks. But I understand now from the other forumers that the natural process also can also be dirty and unhygienic, as Scroobal cited in the Ama Keng case. But I suppose if one sticks to conscientious manufacturers using the natural process, there is at least the chance that we are getting the good stuff. Usually, ths will be the more well-known brands like Kikkoman, which also come with a higher price. With the other artficial ones, we will pay with our lives eventually.

Kikkoman bottles have labels stating that the sauce is naturally brewed. Of course, stating and really being so can be two diff things, esp with Chinese brands, which means if one go by brand names from japan, we will have higher chances of being safe and enjoying the real stuff.

cleareyes said:

There is no such a thing as "naturally" brewed" as if man dont do anything to make it, the product would not be there.

You have listed out 2 different methods in producing soy sauce. How can soy sauce be "naturally brewed" when man still need to provide the method of fermentation, which itself is a man-made process.

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he is right about naturally brewed soy sauce vs industrial brewed soy sauce. industry always use chemical to speed up fermentation to earn more money.

it is just like cheap beer vs traditional beer.

Actually, from what I have googled, I find that the natural 'cottage' process does not contain anything that cannot be scaled up in a modern factory like Yeos and yet keeping conditions hygienic. The ingredients are soaked in water, then boiled till soft and pressed. Yeast is then added, and the fermentation process follows. It's like samsu and rice wine. My granny used to make rice wine and kept it under the bed to ferment. On a larger scale, I can imagine using large vats. The fermentation process only means a slower ramp up, but once the first batch is started, no more waiting time is lost with subsequent batches.

scroobal said:

Till today the branded stuff such as Yeos cannot match the cottage industry brewed stuff but it is a worthy sacrifice.

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Human hair is a source of amino acid. In China, there are people going around the hair salons to collect them and after washing them, hopefully, add it to the fermenting beans. This process has been going on for ages, until this practise is 'exposed'.

When it comes to fermenting anything, it's always a filthy process, be it tea, sauces or beer, smells to high heaven and attracts flies like shit. Nothing nobody can do about it.

The better manufacturers have better equipment and takes care of the environment while the unscrupulous ones leave the filth about.