Yuasa Soy Sauce
Yuasa in Wakayama is called the birthplace of Japanese soy sauce. About 750 years ago around 1254 in the Kamakura period, Shinchi Kakushin (Hotto Enmyo Kokushi) zen priest studied the manufacturing method of “licked miso” at Kinzanji Temple in China and spread its manufacturing method as Kinzanji-miso in Kokokuji Temple in Yura, next town to Yuasa.
The liquid on the bottom of the Kinzanji-miso barrels was so delicious that the beginning of making soy sauce from that eventually spread around the surrounding area. Since the water of Yuasa was good to make that miso, Yuasa became famous. Soy sauce from Yuasa was later shipped to Osaka and Edo and eventually became known all over Japan. People came to Yuasa to learn how to make soy sauce.
In year Meiji 14 (1881), Ms. Sumi Shinko began selling her handmade Kinzanji-miso in Yuasa. She was very good at making it so she was called “the master of making Kinzanji-miso”.
Yuasa Soy Sauce carried on Sumi’s tradition and flavour, and now Toshio Shinko is the fifth generation. They work hard to craft soy sauce using only domestically sourced ingredients, even their sugar and salt, and they do not use any chemical preservatives or additives. Their carefully chosen ingredients are premium and often expensive, but Yuasa Soy Sauce is honoured to represent Wakayama and is dedicated to producing the best product.
With that in mind, their soy sauce is loved not only by Japanese people, but also by Michelin-starred establishments in Europe. In France, they are inspired to make soy sauce using used wine barrels from first-class chateaux.
Japan is a place where food cultures from all over the world come together. In 2013, “Washoku”, meaning Japanese cuisine, was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, is now widely loved by people around the world. "Tamari", the liquid that comes out of Kinzanji-miso during fermentation, is said to have been the first soy sauce.
Yuasa Soy Sauce’s "Kuyou Murasaki", actual tamari from Kinzanji-miso, takes us back to that time with a product that gets rave reviews. This tamari was the beginning of their soy sauce production business, and led to the founding of the company.
