Soy Sauce - batch 003

Our soy beans are organically grown by a family farm in Germany, cultivating the same land since the 17th century. Our wheat comes from Vild Hvede — regeneratively grown on Fyn — selected after years of testing. We source with intention, building relationships with producers who share our commitment to quality and sustainability.

The process starts with dried soybeans, which are soaked in water for several hours until they soften and swell. They’re then boiled until fully cooked — tender enough for mold to penetrate, firm enough to hold their shape. 

Wheat is cracked and roasted separately, which adds a nutty aroma and contributes to fermentable starches. 

This is the step that defines everything downstream. The cooked soybeans and roasted wheat are cooled and mixed with mold spores, then spread in shallow trays in a warm and humid environment. Over two to three days, the beans become blanketed in a soft, greenish-yellow mold — this inoculated mixture is called qu in Chinese or koji in Japanese. 

During this stage, the mold produces enzymes that will later break down proteins into amino acids and starches into sugars. This is the biochemical foundation of umami flavour. Without a successful qu/koji stage, no amount of time or salt can produce rich-tasting jiang or soy sauce. 

Once the koji is ready, it’s mixed with salt water to form a mash — thick and pasty for jiang, wetter for soy sauce. This salty environment does two important jobs: it suppresses the growth of harmful bacteria, and it slows the koji mold itself, shifting the process toward a second wave of fermentation driven by salt-tolerant yeasts and bacteria. 

The mixture, now called moromi in Japanese soy sauce production or simply jiang mash in the Chinese practice, is transferred into large earthenware jars or in our case, large wooden barrels. 

This is where patience becomes the main ingredient. The mash ferments for weeks, months, or — for the finest traditional products — years. Traditional producers often set jars outdoors under the sun, stirring occasionally and covering them at night or during rain. Sunlight warms the mash, encouraging enzymatic activity, while daily temperature swings between warm days and cool nights are thought to develop more complex flavour. 

To produce soy sauce, the fermented mash is pressed, wrapped in cloth, and squeezed under pressure to separate the liquid from the solids. What emerges is raw soy sauce — dark, aromatic, and intensely flavourful. Everything is then carefully bottled and labelled by hand.