Today in Japan it's hard to imagine a meal without soy
sauce (called shoyu in Japanese). Whether added as a cooking
ingredient; poured on top of food directly as a seasoning; or simply used for
dipping raw fish or sushi, soy sauce seems to find its way into nearly every Japanese meal.
Made from fermented soy beans, this wonderful, salty black fluid was first introduced into Japan from China
during the eight century in the form of a Chinese
seasoning sauce called jiang. By the end of the Heian period
(794-1185) the Japanese had transformed jiang into roughly what we
would today call soy sauce. However, the formula did continue to change,
and it wasn't until near the end of the feudal Edo
period (1600-1868) when soy sauce makers in the capital city of Edo
(present day Tokyo) hit upon a particular formulation that was such a hit, it
lead this simple seasoning to become an indispensable part of Japanese cuisine. The soy sauce industry in Japan has been
very successful over time and has produced some of the world's oldest companies such as the
Kikkoman and Yamasa corporations, both of which were founded in the 17th
century. Like salt and pepper shakers in the west, most Japanese dining
tables will include a small container of soy sauce for handy use on a variety of
meals. A true Japanese staple and international favorite, soy sauce is
today appreciated by many as one of the world's great culinary seasonings.
Click here
to see soy sauce and soy sauce goods available for purchase from our eBay store
The Old Tokaido
Today in Japan it's hard to imagine a meal without soy
sauce (called shoyu in Japanese). Whether added as a cooking
ingredient; poured on top of food directly as a seasoning; or simply used for
dipping raw fish or sushi, soy sauce seems to find its way into nearly every Japanese meal.
Made from fermented soy beans, this wonderful, salty black fluid was first introduced into Japan from China
during the eight century in the form of a Chinese
seasoning sauce called jiang. By the end of the Heian period
(794-1185) the Japanese had transformed jiang into roughly what we
would today call soy sauce. However, the formula did continue to change,
and it wasn't until near the end of the feudal Edo
period (1600-1868) when soy sauce makers in the capital city of Edo
(present day Tokyo) hit upon a particular formulation that was such a hit, it
lead this simple seasoning to become an indispensable part of Japanese cuisine. The soy sauce industry in Japan has been
very successful over time and has produced some of the world's oldest companies such as the
Kikkoman and Yamasa corporations, both of which were founded in the 17th
century. Like salt and pepper shakers in the west, most Japanese dining
tables will include a small container of soy sauce for handy use on a variety of
meals. A true Japanese staple and international favorite, soy sauce is
today appreciated by many as one of the world's great culinary seasonings.