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| Natural
Brewing Process |
The natural brewing of soy sauce is accomplished
in three distinct steps: koji-making, brine fermentation
and refining. Click here to
view the Kikkoman natrually brewed soy sauce production
chart.
1.
Koji-making:To begin
the process, carefully selected soybeans
and wheat are blended under precisely
controlled conditions. Next, a proprietary
seed mold is introduced, and the
mixture is allowed to mature for
three days in large, perforated vats
through which air is circulated.
2.
Brine Fermentation: The
resulting culture, or
koji, is then transferred
to fermentation tanks,
where it is mixed with
saltwater to produce
a mash called moromi.
The next, and perhaps
most critical step, is
allowing the moromi to
ferment for several months
using osmophilic lactic
acid bacteria and yeasts.
During this time, the
soybeans and wheat are
transformed into a semi-liquid,
reddish-brown "mature
mash." It is this
fermentation process
that creates the many
distinct flavor and fragrance
compounds that build
the soy sauce flavor
profile.
3.
Refining: Following the
months of moromi fermentation, the
raw soy sauce is separated from the
solids by pressing it through layers
of filtration cloth. The liquid that
emerges is then refined, pasteurized
and packaged as finished soy sauce.
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| Non-Brewed Process |
Producing
non-brewed soy sauce is an entirely different matter.
Soybeans are boiled with hydrochloric acid for
15 to 20 hours. After most of the amino acid is
removed, the mixture is cooled to stop the hydrolytic
reaction. The amino acid liquid is then neutralized,
pressed through a filter, mixed with active carbon
and purified through filtration.
Color and flavor
are introduced to this hydrolyzed vegetable protein
mixture by adding caramel color, corn syrup for
sweetness, and salt. The mixture is then refined
and packaged.
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