Soy sauce is more than just a condiment. It’s a vibrant product that enhances the savory flavor — or umami — of your food, transforming your recipes from good to exceptional.
Soy sauce contains four essential ingredients: water, soybeans, wheat, and salt. For more than 300 years, Kikkoman has committed to only using the traditional method of brewing soy sauce to arrive at our signature umami flavor.
Continuing a tradition that started in Japan three centuries ago, we began brewing our famous soy sauce in the US more than 50 years ago. In fact, we only use premium North American ingredients to brew our signature line of soy sauces and condiments, following the same centuries-old brewing process to produce products customers know and love. Just as the ingredients we use are simple, so too is our traditional process for brewing our renowned soy sauce:
Our soy sauce begins with high-quality, protein-rich soybeans to which we add roasted wheat for aroma, and salt-brine to create an environment for safe, slow aging.
Next comes the fermentation process. To begin, steamed soybeans and roasted wheat are infused with a starter mold to create Koji. This mixture is then combined with a salt water brine to form Moromi, a thick, grainy mash that slowly matures over several months.
Our traditional fermentation process spans over several months and is a meticulous biological journey that rewards time and patience. To ensure that the sauce develops more than 300 distinct aromas, it is a process that must never be rushed. This natural aging period creates the deep color, rich flavor, and complex profile our products are known for, all without the use of artificial additives.
In this final step, raw soy sauce is gently extracted from the aged Moromi mash. We then refine and pasteurize it, which stabilizes the sauce and ensures every bottle contains the same legendary quality and flavor.
Why do we continue to follow this traditional method of brewing soy sauce when there are speedier, more efficient processes? One alternative to this is non-brewed (or chemically hydrolyzed) soy sauce. The chemical process was invented by companies that wished to circumvent the brewing process. The result is that their non-brewed soy sauce is made in hours instead of months. And the flavor? Flat and harsh.
At Kikkoman, we believe that quality matters. That’s why we take the time to use the traditional approach to creating soy sauce. The results are an aromatic and umami-rich product that customers love. And that’s what matters most.
From gluten-free to organic, double fermented and non-GMO, Kikkoman has a soy sauce to elevate every dish that comes from your kitchen.
Serve up legendary umami meals every weeknight with Kikkoman Teriyaki BBQ Sauces.
