46. ​​Organic soy sauce 100ml

Organic JAS certified soy sauce made from domestic whole soybeans

Made from organically grown domestic whole soybeans, domestic wheat, and natural salt (sun-dried), this soy sauce is carefully aged in wooden barrels over two summers. It has a strong brewery aroma, a strong bean flavor, and a slightly dry, dark soy sauce.

Ingredients: Organic soybeans (domestic), organic wheat (domestic), salt

Shokunin Shoyu No. 46

A pioneer in making soy sauce using organic ingredients

Shodoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture is famous for its soy sauce. Twenty-two breweries still produce soy sauce today, with Yamahisa being one of the most famous. You'll likely see it in natural food stores. Yamahisa was also one of the first in Japan to start making soy sauce using organic ingredients. We were given a tour of the soybean steaming process, where soybeans delivered from the Kanazawa region of Ishikawa Prefecture were being steamed. Domestically grown organic soybeans and wheat are produced in extremely limited quantities, with only a handful of producers. The same goes for salt, which is only sun-dried using the sun-dried salt-making method. Whole soybeans, containing oil, give the soy sauce a strong reddish color, while sun-dried salt adds a subtle sweetness, creating the distinctive Yamahisa flavor.

Carrying on 400 years of tradition in large cedar barrels

Stepping into Yamahisa's storehouse, you'll see barrels lined up closely together, neatly lined all the way to the other side of the deep storehouse. There are 154 barrels in total. "Unlike miso production, there's no need to move the barrels, which is why they're lined up so closely together," says President Uematsu Katsutaro.

The soy sauce matures slowly over time in these barrels. While most regular soy sauce production takes four to six months, Yamahisa uses natural fermentation to produce its soy sauce. As a result, it is not uncommon for the fermentation and maturation process to take two years. This production method fully demonstrates the experience and intuition of a craftsman with over 50 years of experience. "By taking the time, the salt blends in. The salty edge disappears, and the soy sauce becomes delicious, with a rich, umami flavor, and is not just salty when you put it in your mouth." This knowledge has been passed down to the younger brewers.

The stew is thoroughly infused with the flavor of soy sauce.

Simmered dishes with rich flavors that go well with rice are also delicious. Recommended for those who like strong soy sauce seasonings, such as yellowtail and daikon radish or braised pork. Organic soy sauce is a strong, fragrant dark soy sauce, so it is also suitable for those who are concerned about the strong aroma of root vegetables and for simmered fish.

A secret ingredient in tomato-based dishes

Soy sauce is an essential secret ingredient in Western cuisine. Adding soy sauce to finish stews using tomatoes adds richness and umami. Organic soy sauce has a particularly strong bean flavor and a rich aroma, giving it a unique taste.