Shoyu

Soy sauce, or ‘shoyu’ as it is known in Japanese, is an indispensable condiment on every dining table and in every kitchen in Japan. No savoury dish is complete without the addition of shoyu in one form or another, and there are a number of varieties to suit different purposes. Regardless of the variety, the production process is similar; cracked wheat and steamed soybeans are impregnated with the mould aspergillus oryzae and left to ferment in wooden kegs for several months. This process breaks down the proteins in both ingredients into amino acids, releasing a wealth of umami-rich glutamate.