Black bean soy sauce, also known as “Ying You”

In ancient Chinese books, soy sauce could be made from fermented black beans, soybeans, or even red beans. But then soybean has become the main ingredient in making Chinese and Japanese soy sauce, which was originated from China. Most Taiwanese immigrants came from China, and they should have inherited the Chinese dietary habit. However, Taiwanese stands alone in soy sauce production, using black beans as raw material. As “Taiwan’s History” has recorded:”black beans grow in April and May, ripen in August and September, gives the soy sauce a sweeter taste, and then the salted black beans are made”. During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese found it refreshing that the Taiwanese uses black bean instead of soybean to make soy sauce. They call it “Taiwanese soy sauce” and their own, “inland sauce” (inland refers to Japanese territory).

According to the Japanese’s observation on Taiwanese customs, soy sauce is a must-have seasoning for every family. Although stores or factories manufacture and sell these products, home-made soy sauce is still very popular. In addition, books denied Taiwanese women as true women if they lack the skill to prepare three meals, traditional cakes, rice dumpling, soy sauce or soy sauce marinated food. This shows in early Taiwan, soy sauce production is a skill of all ordinary people.

Since every family knows how to make soy sauce, one can perceive the simplicity of these methods and tools. As a result, the flavors may vary. Some Japanese even considered traditional Taiwanese soy sauce with a burnt taste or the smell of Ammonia. That is why the Japanese methods were introduced.

Today’s Taiwanese soy sauces have diverse flavors and the production standards are in parallel with Japan.

Mechanization and fermented soybean—introduced by Japanese

Soy sauce is also often used by the Japanese, who failed to adapt to the Taiwanese black bean soy sauce during their occupation period. In order to accommodate the dietary habit of the Japanese in Taiwan, they imported Japanese soy sauce, established brewing factories and sold their own products. The mechanization and commercialization of the soy sauce industry has thus begun.

In 1901, Taiwan’s sixth year under Japanese rule, Suzuki Toshisaku set up a Suzuki brewing factory in Hsinchu City, manufacturing Japanese soy sauce for Japanese. It was just a small-scale factory. More sizable ones-Taiwan Soy Sauce Joint-Stock Corporation and Taishou Soy Sauce Corporation, were established in 1913 and 1920 respectively, outlining Taiwan’s soy sauce industry.

The Japanese brewing methods were introduced to Taiwan after the establishment of these factories. In the production of Taiwanese black bean soy sauce, the bean dregs are intact after first pressing, so that water and other additives can still be added for second pressing, or even third pressing. Japanese soy sauce on the other hand, is produced under machine-controlled environment, which only allows one pressing. But this saves the cost for human resources, and yields higher production and better flavor. Besides press machines, the automatic or semiautomatic equipments in these Japanese factories are responsible for pasteurizing, packaging, steaming and filtering, so as to enhance quality control.

Early brewing equipment

Sediment bucket. After the steaming process, the raw soy sauce is stored for sediment separation, and then filled in containers through a small opening. (Wuan Chuang Museum)	Caramel pigment bucket. Caramel pigment was added during the steaming process. (Wuan Chuang Museum)
Filter head. The white cloth on top filters out the impurities. (Wuan Chuang Museum)	Bamboo basket. To mix black beans with yeast. (Yung Shing Soy Sauce)
Bamboo basket. To contain soy sauce glass bottles. (Yung Shing Soy Sauce)	Bamboo basket. After Aspergillus making, black beans would not be washed away when rinsed with water. (Yung Shing Soy Sauce)

Soy sauce industry in Taiwan

With the introduction of Japanese soy sauce, Taiwanese started to adapt to the soybean soy sauce, which has taken the place of traditional black bean soy sauce, as a result of automatic production and fast fermentation method. Today, Taiwan’s 90% soy sauces are made from soybean, while Japanese soy sauces make up for 90% of the importation. Adapting to Japanese-style cuisine is not unheard of in Taiwan. In the 50 years of Japanese rule, their food, taste, recipe were introduced and integrated into Taiwanese culture. Local infusion and localization became a phenomenon, where Taiwanese cuisines, such as the ubiquitous miso soup, fish paste bar and tempura, were all originated from Japan.
　

Tung Wan Corporation, the largest soy sauce maker in Taiwan, is a joint venture of　Uni-President and Kikkoman Corporation

Black bean soy sauces only take up 10% of the total production, but are not less popular among Taiwanese. In fact, they are sold at a premium, and are considered as a superior product. These soy sauces are fermented in giant urns and 100 days under the sun, making mass production impossible, hence the low production. According to the statistics, most black bean soy sauce factories are small and medium sized family-run operation, located in central and southern Taiwan, such is the case with Yung Shing Soy Sauce—a typical small and traditional soy sauce factory.