About soy sauce

Fermented in cedar barrels since Meiji 30

The taste of "honmamon" made with natural fermentation, domestic ingredients, and no additives

Making soy sauce using natural fermentation in cedar barrels is more time-consuming than you might imagine, and it cannot be mass-produced.

Nevertheless, we have taken the time to nurture it honestly, sincerely and over time.

It has a flavor and gentleness that is unlike any other.

01 Cedar barrel brewing

An environment that supports microorganisms

The cedar barrel is so old it looks like it might collapse at any moment, but it is not rotten; important bacteria coexist inside it.

Fermented seasonings such as miso and soy sauce are made with the help of microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast. Creating a comfortable environment for these microorganisms helps bring out the best flavor.

Making soy sauce in cedar barrels takes time and effort,
We will continue to stick to brewing in cedar barrels.

02 Domestic ingredients, no additives

The origin of deliciousness

The most important thing we consider when making things is the materials.
Because it is simple, we place great importance on the selection of materials.

We visit the producers directly to find out how the ingredients are grown.

We use domestically produced products that we have carefully selected after examining them with our own eyes.

High-quality, pesticide-free soybeans from Akita Prefecture, high-quality wheat grown in the naturally grown land of Tokushima Prefecture, and world-class Naruto salt from Tokushima Prefecture, harvested from the beautiful waters of the Naruto Strait.

In particular, the percentage of domestically produced soybeans is very small at only 6% of the total, and many companies use a mixture of domestically produced and imported soybeans. However, we contract with farmers in Akita Prefecture to grow our products using 100% domestically produced soybeans.

Using these carefully selected ingredients, we pour love into every step of the process, sparing no time or effort in preparing our products.

Soy sauce and koji

We make our own koji, which is the key to the flavor.

Roasted and cracked wheat, steamed soybeans, and koji mold are mixed together and moved to a room called a muro.
Let it sit for a day.

During this time, the mixture is mixed thoroughly by hand and kept at the optimum temperature to infuse vitality into the koji, resulting in a strong, powerful mixture.

03 Natural fermentation

The power of natural fermentation

Soy sauce brewing methods have changed over time, with fermentation techniques becoming increasingly mechanized.

However, for over 100 years since its founding, Hama Shoyu has not been obsessed with mechanization, and has instead stuck to the traditional methods of fermenting and aging the soy sauce over a long period of time, using the power of the microorganisms that live in the brewery.

This soy sauce is carefully matured over a long period of time, like raising a child inside a cedar barrel, resulting in a unique soy sauce with a deep flavor and rich aroma.

How soy sauce is made

1. Roast the wheat

A large amount of wheat is roasted in a pot. The perfect color is determined, and the flavor is checked by taking multiple bites.
2. Mix with soybeans

To facilitate fermentation, cracked wheat, steamed soybeans, and koji mold are mixed together.
3. Koji making

Step 2 is then moved to a room called a muro and left to rest for a day. During this time, the mixture is thoroughly mixed by hand and kept at an optimal temperature to infuse vitality into the koji, resulting in a powerful mixture.
4. Oaring

The finished koji is transferred to a cedar barrel and salt water is added. To aid in the fermentation process, the contents of the barrel are stirred, a process known as "oar-in," which lasts for about a year.
5. Processing of moromi

The moromi mash, the base of soy sauce, is now complete. The longer it is aged, the thicker it becomes and the more distinct the flavor becomes.
6.Completion

Once filtered and pasteurized, our basic "secret soy sauce" is complete. It can also be used as a base for dashi soy sauce, tamari soy sauce, ponzu sauce, and other dishes.