Surprising history of soy sauceSoy 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 yearsSoy 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. |
Cooperation from neighboring districtsCurrently 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. |
ACCESS
- Naogen Shoyu Co., Ltd.
- 1-53 Ohnomachi Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
- URL http://www.naogen.co.jp/