Yamasa soy sauce factory visit

- Ingredients -Soy sauce is made from soybeens, wheat and salt.

	Soy sauce is made only from soybean, wheat and salt. Soybeans grown in fertile soil are rich in protein and so nutritious as to be called meat from the field. The protein in soybeans changes to components that generate flavor and color distinctive to soy sauce. Meanwhile, wheat is rich in starch, and is mainly used to create the aroma unique to soy sauce. First of all, soybeans are steamed. Wheat is roasted and ground into small pieces. After that, the soybeans and wheat are mixed together.
	When is salt used ?
	I will tell you about it later.
	The main ingredients of soy sauce come from the field, don't they ?
	When did soy sauce production begin ?
	It seems that "hishio" that is thought to be the origin of soy sauce was produced in the Yayoi period (300 BC-300 AD) in Japan. There are several kinds of hishio-uobishio, shishibishio, kusabishio and kokubishio. They were fermented foods made from salted fish, animal meat, and grains. Kokubishio was later developed into soybean paste and soy sauce. One theory explains that a kind of soy sauce close to one we use today was first produced in the Kamakura period (1192-1333.) A priest named Kakushin taught his neighbors how to make Kinzanji soybean paste, which he brought back from China. They happened to make a watery Kinzanji soybean paste, maybe because of mixing ingredients in the wrong way. Having tasted the liquid on the top of this soybean paste, they found out that it was very tasty and good for cooking. After that, they began making watery Kinzanji soybean paste intentionally, which is similar to "tamari" soy sauce we use today.