Surprising history of soy sauce
Soy sauce, the taste of Japan. You would think that this is a taste unique to Japan originating from the Yamato period, but actually it isn’t. There are various theories to the origin of soy sauce, but so called ”tamari shoyu” was first made in the Kamakura period.
Up until then, ”hishio” that was used by aristocrats at banquets was in existence, but this was something in between soy sauce and ”miso”. During the Kamakura period, Zen monks brought back techniques to make ”miso”, which spread to the Kishu region and soon it was discovered that the juice that seeped out from this was good, leading people to begin making ”tamari shoyu”.
Creation of soy sauce dating back 400 years
Soy sauce production in Ohno, Kanazawa began from the techniques that were brought back from Kishu more than 400 years ago. The first soy sauce shop in Japan was ”Tamai Sho” in Kishu which was established in 1580, and is about the same time as the first soy sauce business in Japan. It is region with a long history of soy sauce production.
Ishikawa is blessed with water from Hakusan mountains, clean air, and perfect temperatures, making it suitable for soy sauce production. With this climate, ”soy sauce of Ohno” became a center of soy sauce production, known around the nation.
Cooperation from neighboring districts
Currently there are 25 soy sauce stores in Ohno that continue to create soy sauce in the old-fashioned way. The leading brewery, ”Naogen Shoyu” uses Kaga soybeans and Noto natural salt, all ingredients from within the prefecture to create their soy sauce.
Nakata visited ”Naogen Shoyu”. He also visited neighboring ”Ohno Soy Sauce Brewing Cooperative”. At the factory, the main ingredients are processed and seed malt is cultivated. The soy sauce manufacturers in Ohno use the main ingredients prepared in this factory to make their soy sauce.
The traditional flavor is created with confidence and responsibility that is shared by the entire region. This is where their passion lies – what is consumed every single day is made by the blessings from the local land.
