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Why don't you try the authentic Japanese food by finding the finest seasonings that highlights your favorite ingredients?

We made an assorted set with small bottles of Japanese premium soy sauces. Those sauces make sushi, sashimi, soy sauce ramen and even steak taste amazing! With our set, you can compare them and find your ideal soy sauce.

It is highly acclaimed by people all over the world.

Maybe you already have watched videos from BBC below. Yes, this is Yamaroku’s soy sauce. It has been featured in a lot of different media and highly acclaimed by people all over the world. Below are some reviews from Amazon in the united states:

CHECK OUT OUR REVIEWS ON AMAZON

 

Even in Japan, only 1% of soy sauce manufacturers produce soy sauce using wooden barrel.

During the Edo Period (400 years ago), Japanese traditional seasonings, such as soy sauce, miso, mirin and vinegar were all made with wooden barrels. After world war 2, soy sauce made by large manufacturers in large factories widely spread into the market. Soy sauce made in traditional way, using wooden barrel, like Yamaroku, is now only about 1% of the total circulation volume.
Still, there are many requests for soy sauce made in wooden barrel from sushi, ramen, soba, udon restaurant chefs and Japanese restaurant owner. Some of the soy sauce manufacturers returned to producing soy sauce with a wooden barrel.
Many chefs love it!
Sushi artisan: Ginza “Sushi Yoshitake

Sushi Yoshitake, a Michelin 3 star restaurant, has used Yamaroku soy sauce for several years. The owner, Masahiro Yoshitake, talks about the attractiveness of kioke soy sauce as follows:
"The difference between other soy sauces is that the saltiness does not come first when you taste it. The sweetness of soybeans comes first, and then comes the saltiness with the aroma of soybeans that spreads in your mouth. I use domestic tuna and the soy sauce brings out the acidity and aroma of tuna. It has a mildness which I really like”.

Ramen owner: Menya Nanasai:

The owner of the ramen restaurant which was introduced in the Michelin guide in 2017 also uses Yamaroku soy sauce blended with Yugeta soy sauce. “When these two soy sauces combine, it makes the best sauce of soy sauce with a rich aroma."

Chefs all over the world also use it!
Since “Japanese Food” was registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2013, soy sauce has been used not only in Japan but also by chefs around the world. Chefs mainly use premium soy sauce to add "aroma" to the dishes and for making sauces.
Why do professional chefs use soy sauce that is made in wooden barrels?
The difference between soy sauce made in steel tanks and wooden barrel is in the microorganisms that are present. When you look at the surface of the barrel with a microscope, there are many small holes, where microorganisms live. It is said that there are 200-300 types of microorganisms that live in wooden barrels.
According to soy sauce artisans, they are the heroes which add the aroma and complex flavors to the soy sauce during the fermentation process.
The surface of the wooden barrel that have been used for 150 years. It is a home for yeast and lactic acid bacteria, the heroes that make soy sauce so delicious.

 

Furthermore, even in the same wooden barrel, depending on the natural environment and control methods used, the microorganisms that live in each soy sauce store house differ. This creates different ecosystems where different types of bacteria flourish. That's why each storehouse has its own aroma.

 

The health benefits of authentic soy sauce!

Soy sauce is a fermented food produced by soybeans, wheat and salt, brewed slowly with koji mold. More than 300 types of components are created such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, as well as others. The health effects are very well known.

Traditional “Honjozo soy sauce” is made by brewing over two summers.

Contrasting with “honjozo soy sauce” by traditional process, soy sauce that is quickly brewed (in 4 months or even 20 days) are sold in supermarkets at a low price.

However, such soy sauce cannot be expected to have positive health effects. Those effects are only in soy sauces that are made with traditional brewing methods.

Although soy sauce brewed using wooden barrels only account for 1% of the whole manufactured soy sauce, it can still be found in Japan.

We made this assortment set to introduce not only Yamaroku soy sauce but also to recommend other soy sauces to people all over the world. All of them are the finest premium soy sauces made with traditional brewing method in kioke. There are around 200 to 300 types of unique aromas in the store house.

This product is an assortment of 8 types of small bottles of soy sauce that are carefully selected from 5 Japanese kioke soy sauce storehouses.

  1. Yamaroku: Tsuru Bishio (doubled- brewed), Kiku Bishio (black soybeans koikuchi): Shodoshima Island
  2. Yamahisa: organic soy sauce (koikuchi, regular), Mamesyo (doubled- brewed): Shoudoshima Island
  3. Fueki: Saishikomi soy sauce (doubled- brewed), low sodium soy sauce (koikuchi, regular): Saitama (Kanto region)
  4. Yugeta: Kioke Shikomi soy sauce (koikuchi, regular): Saitama (Kanto region)
  5. Nitto jyozo: shiro tamari: Aichi

 

 

This is a collaboration produced with Mr. Mantaro Takahashi, a soy sauce artisan who works as one of the three soy sauce sommeliers in Japan.

There are 56 soy sauce store houses (as of 2019) that are in business with soy sauce artisans.
Even Japanese people wonder which soy sauce to choose and some say that if you buy one, you cannot try another bottle of soy sauce until it is used up. In response to that, we sell all soy sauce in single-use size (100 ml) bottles so that you can compare the tastes.

In addition to running a shop where you can compare the tastes of soy sauce, he published a book about soy sauce. He is trusted by many soy sauce storehouse so he can buy products which others cannot.

Link: https://www.s-shoyu.com/
Book: https://www.s-shoyu.com/news/kurabook.html

We sympathize with his philosophy, and we want you to experience the taste of soy sauce throughout Japan.

For Soy Sauce Japan, Mr.Takahashi has selected soy sauces from storehouses which exclusively use wooden barrels for overseas sales.

Authentic Japanese cuisine recipes which use your favorite soy sauce are also available.

To enjoy the soy sauce you bought, Soy sauce Japan will introduce authentic Japanese recipes using ingredients that are easily bought at overseas (US/EU/Australia etc.), supervised by our staff with cooking license.

https://soysauce-japan.com/ 

Products and services: You can find your favorite soy sauce by comparing the tastes of different soy sauces!

Point 1:

In the assortment set, we have selected the best soy sauces that use wooden barrel brewing methods from the ultimate soy sauce store, like Yamaroku. See the bottom of the page for further details.

  1. Yamaroku: Tsuru Bishio (doubled- brewed), Kiku Bishio (black soybeans koikuchi) -  Shodoshima Island
    In order to pass on the authentic taste of soy sauce to future generations, they make the wooden barrels by themselves.

  2. Yamahisa: Organic soy sauce (koikuchi soy sauce), Mame-sho (doubled-brewed) -  Shodoshima Island
    They started to produce organic soy sauce earlier than the other companies. In Japan, it is difficult to find organic soy sauce since organic ingredients are difficult to obtain. This means that the soy sauce that is made in wooden barrel using organic ingredients are very valuable. It is recommended to the people who are paying more attention to their health than other people.

  3. Fueki: Saishikomi soy sauce (doubled-brewed), low sodium soy sauce (koikuchi) - Saitama (Kanto region)
    They worked on making low sodium soy sauce earlier than the other companies. Low sodium soy sauce has been their best-selling product for 30 years. Only the sodium has been removed from the soy sauce that has been made from traditional wooden barrel brewing techniques. It is recommended for the people who cannot have sodium because of high blood pressure or special dietary restrictions.

  4. Yugeta: Kioke Saishikomi soy sauce (doubled-brewed) -  Saitama (Kanto region)
    Yugeta’s soy sauce is a fully matured soy sauce that does not leave any salty flavors in the mouth. It’s a multi-purpose soy sauce supported by the chefs of soba, udon, and ramen. It is recommended for ramen lovers

  5. Nitto Brewing: White Tamari - Aichi region
    Nitto Brewing is making a rare white soy sauce brewed in wooden barrels. They are always pursuing the traditional tastes. White soy sauce is used in restaurants for kaiseki dishes that need to keep of the color of the ingredients. Try to add the taste of kaiseki to your everyday dishes by using this white tamari soy sauce. Without changing the color of the ingredients, it adds the aroma that saltiness cannot express. The dishes that you make will taste like the dishes you eat from restaurants.

Point 2:

We included as much doubled brewed soy sauce as possible! It is soy sauce that is brewed one or two summers and is made with soy sauce that is brewed for two summers. They are outlined in green below.

Normally, standard soy sauce is brewed with soybeans and wheat with salt water. In doubled-brewed soy sauce, instead of using salt water, normal soy sauce is used for the second brewing period. It uses twice as many ingredients and it takes twice as long to brew. Therefore, doubled-brewed soy sauce is only about 1% of all the soy sauce that is manufactured.

The reason many doubled-brewed soy sauces are still made in soy sauce storehouses, is because there are living microorganisms that have not been pasteurized. The interaction between the newly made koji and the microorganisms makes umami components in the soy sauce. It became a rich soy sauce in which you can taste the umami and the aroma before the saltiness.

"Doubled-brewed soy sauce," which takes twice as many raw materials, time and labor is a high-end product for each of the soy sauce storehouses. In this assortment set, we included as many of those rare doubled-brewed soy sauces as possible.

The rich taste of doubled-brewed soy sauce is perfect for the finest ingredients, such as fatty tuna and premium steak. Please try and compare it as a condiment that enhances the flavor of the ingredients it is used with.

Doubled-brewed soy sauce also adds its excellent taste if it is added to ramen soup.

There is a scene in “Oishinbo”, the manga loved by food lovers in Japan, where doubled- brewed soy sauce was added to the ramen soup made by chicken, pork and beef bones. The ramen soup won the ramen showdown. (Ramen War Vol.2 p.93-95).

For the Asian people, the taste of chemical seasonings (chemically made glutamic acid) are nothing special because they are used to the taste of seafood and kelp (which contain glutamic acid) . On the other hand, it is said that the European people are not used to it since they are used to the taste of the inosinic acids in chicken, pork, and beef. This is the so-called glutamate sodium syndrome.

Some of you may know, umami such as inosinic acid, glutamic acid, etc. are known to make the taste better by multiplication (the synergistic effect) instead of addition by mixing various types of flavors.

Popular ramen in Japan is based on the umami of inosinic acid such as chicken, pork and beef and the multiplication of the umami of glutamic acid such as kelp and seafood. Many chefs consciously mix them to make the best soup.

However, in Europe, soup made from dried bonito and dried fish may not be accepted by many people. Even in that case, the natural taste of glutamic acid and the umami of saishikomi soy sauce made with soybeans and wheat can be used. It matches with the flavor of inosinic acid soup made with chicken, beef and pork. It takes on the greatest taste of umami. It is also good for the body because it has a natural flavor made by natural brewing.

In this assortment set, there is an original soy sauce ramen recipe that is perfect for European people which is made by Soy Sauce Japan. Try and enjoy the handmade ramen soup and find the soy sauce that most fits your tastes! There is no doubt that it will attract people’s attention at a home party!

Point 3:

Soy sauce preferences differ for each person.

The method of making soy sauce and miso were already established in the Edo period. At that time, when there was no distribution system, soy sauce and miso, the basic seasonings for Japanese cuisine were made at home. Gradually, people began to buy them from those who were good at making them. Many of those people started their own business. However, at that time, there were only large and heavy containers for soy sauce, such as barrels and pots. This means that the region in which sales could be made was limited, so the tastes were different in each region.

Therefore, it is said that in the Aichi region tamari soy sauce was made and usukuchi soy sauce was made in Kyoto because of the taste of each ingredient, Koikuchi soy sauce was made in the Kanto region. Local dishes exist in every region in Japan and soy sauce is closely associated with those dishes.

There are people who came to Tokyo from other regions, who can only eat the soy sauce which is from where they were born. That soy sauce, which has a taste that they got used to during childhood, remains as a favorite even as an adult.

Therefore, it is natural that a person’s favorite taste of soy sauce will differ depending on the personal taste, their favorite food, and even the climate of the area in which they live.

Point 4:

Even though, there are as many as 1,400 soy sauce manufacturers exists in Japan, it is difficult to find the one for you. Even if you want to choose a soy sauce made in a wooden barrel, it can be hard to find much information.

For those people, we, Soy Sauce Japan will introduce soy sauce storehouses with confidence.

Currently, it is said that there are five major soy sauce regions. From each region, we will introduce a wooden barrel store house.

This assorted set is perfect for the Japanese food lover and who is very particular about food. Why not try and compare soy sauces and find your favorite one.

Production area in Japan:


Introduction of breweries:

We will introduce each soy sauce artisan and their stories.

Yamaroku: Yasuo Yamamoto

Shodoshima Island is an area that is dense with soy sauce producers. They preserve traditional manufacturing methods. Soy sauce made with wooden barrels is less than 1% of the whole production. 99% of all soy sauce is made in steel tanks. About half of the soy sauce made in wooden barrels is located in Shodoshima Island says Mr. Yamamoto.

He also says that it’s not the human beings who make soy sauce, but it’s the bacteria who do the work. He speaks with the bacteria that live in the wooden barrel to make soy sauce.

Not only Mr. Yamamoto but also everyone who work in Yamaroku agrees that the bacteria that lives in the storehouse and the wooden barrels are making the soy sauce.

There is only one wooden barrel manufacturer which exists in Japan, since only a few manufacturers use wooden barrels now. In order to pass the authentic taste of soy sauce to the future generation, Yamaroku decided to make their own barrels. They are the leader in the art of soy sauce manufacturing.

In fact, we consulted Mr. Yamamoto when we first started this business to create a specialized soy sauce web shop to introduce soy sauce to people that live overseas. He fully cooperated with us and even introduced us to the soy sauce artisan Mr. Takahashi. Without him, we could not have been able to launch this website. Mr. Yamamoto is also a hero to us.

Tsuru-Bishio (doubled-brewed):

After 2 years of aging, this soy sauce is brewed in the barrel for 2 more years. It is a soy sauce that pursues a richness and softness of taste. It goes well with vanilla ice cream, sashimi and meat along with wasabi and soy sauce. 


A Michelin star restaurant chef also use this Tsuru-Bishio for tuna dishes. As it has mild saltiness, it is excellent with red fleshed fish like tuna and other fatty fish. As a Japanese person, it makes us want to taste it by itself, simply put it on yaki onigiri (grilled rice ball) or mochi to enjoy the taste of soy sauce itself.

 

Kiku- Bishio (Koikuchi, regular):

This soy sauce is made with black soy beans from Tamba and has a sharp umami and slight sweetness which leads to a rich taste. With this sauce, you can enjoy a rich taste and beautiful colors.

It can be used for cooking but also used as a sauce for grilled steaks along with wasabi. The best meats stand out with the best seasonings. It is popular for steak loving customers who live overseas.

 

Yamahisa: Katutaro Uematu

This is another soy sauce maker that is located in Shodoshima Island, which preserves traditional manufacturing methods. They are also a pioneer in making organic soy sauce.

They start by making the koji which is the base of soy sauce. They are consistently pursuing the real taste of soy sauce.

Of course, the ingredients are whole soybeans and wheat that is produced domestically. Some products do not use any pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and they also use organic JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standard) certified ingredients. Also they only use sun-dried salt.

The whole soybeans contain an oil that brings a reddish color to soy sauce. Also, the salt gives subtle sweetness to the soy sauce, so it creates the unique flavor of Yamahisa.

At the Yamahisa storehouse, wooden barrels are densely arranged and neatly lined up to the other side of the storehouse. There are a total of 170 wooden barrels, and how those barrels are lined up is overwhelming.



Yamahisa's stance on making soy sauce is to be a producer of soy sauce, but to also be a consumer. Yamahisa is pursuing the creation of safe and authentic soy sauce for all families, including their own. "We believe this will not be changed in the future," said Uematsu Katsutaro, owner of Yamahisa.

In the manga “Oishinbo,” Mr. Yamahisa is featured in the chapter about food safety (vol.101, p.173-182).

Organic soy sauce (koikuchi, regular):

Yamahisa  was one of the first companies that started to make organic JAS certified soy sauce. Aged slowly, over a two summer period, it is produced using organically grown soybeans and wheat. This soy sauce is recommended for the person who has a strong preference about what ingredients they take into their body.

We feel there are more people who care about organic products overseas than in Japan. In Japan, it is difficult to get organic ingredients. For this reason, kioke soy sauce made of organic ingredients is very rare. This organic soy sauce is koikuchi so it is a multi-purpose soy sauce. It is for people who are concerned about their health. You can enjoy it with a variety of dishes, such as soy sauce dressing and vegan soy sauce ramen.



 Vegan Ramen Soy Sauce Dressing Recipe from here

Mame Sho (doubled- brewed):

Instead of salt water, this soy sauce is made using a soy sauce that is brewed over one and a half years. It is then brewed another one and a half years. The fermented and matured domestic soybeans and wheat are brewed in a cedar barrel. We recommend it for yakiniku (Japanese BBQ), steak and sauce for croquettes.

 

"Mame (soybean) Sho" is a premium doubled-brewed soy sauce made with carefully selected soybeans. It can be used as sauce by itself or even as a subtle seasoning that brings out the flavor of the food it is paired with.

Fueki soy sauce: Yoshigoro Fueki

With the concept of creating a bright and enjoyable dining experience, they make soy sauce locally. Their low sodium soy sauce, which they began producing when the company was still young, has become a long selling product for over the past 30 years. Established in 1789, the brewery has the spirit of trying something new and a staff with company loyalty who have supported the company since its establishment.

The 12th generation Mr.Yoshigoro Fueki, lost his father when he was in high school (18 years old) and at that time he had no intention of carrying on his family business. But his thoughts changed when his American friend saw Fueki soy sauce at a supermarket in California and asked him, “Isn’t your mission to cherish Japanese tradition?”

They keep the traditional manufacturing method and taste by using wooden barrels for fermentation, which creates an environment where bacteria can live comfortably. They still have wooden barrels from 150 years ago.
"I want to pass down the soy sauce double brewed in wooden barrel,” said Mr. Fueki. From such a thought, in September 2016, with the help of barrel artisans from all over Japan, they made new barrels using 50 year old Yoshino cedar.

Saishikomi raw soy sauce (doubled-brewed):

A raw type of doubled-brewed rich soy sauce that has not been pasteurized and has been fermented and matured for over three years. It can be used as it is or in cooking.

Normally, microorganisms are sterilized by heat treatment. In Japanese it is called "Hi-ire". But this raw soy sauce removes microorganisms by filtration, so it is equivalent to a pasteurized product. The flavor and taste are milder and more delicious than regular soy sauce. This product was created by this company because they always want to try something new. Please try this masterpiece of sauce with sashimi or steak.

Kinbue low sodium soy sauce (Koikuchi):

Since its production in 1980, this product has been a long selling product. Without changing, the rich taste of the umami of the soy sauce which is made in wooden barrel, it contains only 50% of the salt content. It contains only about 8.6% of sodium by volume, so it is recommended for those who have high blood pressure and have food restrictions.

ACE inhibitory peptides produced by the koji mold are a focal point because they can prevent high blood pressure. This point has been published in the dissertation.

If you are worried about high blood pressure, we recommend that you use this soy sauce. However, if sodium is something that are concerned about. Try low sodium soy sauce with the same healthy ingredients. Try it with sashimi!

Yugeta soy sauce: Yohichi Yugeta, Shinji Yugeta

This storehouse was founded in its current location (Sakado city, Saitama prefecture) in 1923. Prior to that, the first soy sauce master Saju Yugeta, who was doing agricultural work was interested in zymurgy (the study or practice of fermentation), was thinking about opening a soy sauce and miso storehouse. He started his business by inviting the chief brewer to his facilities from a soy sauce store house in Iruma city, Saitama prefecture. Including that time, they have a history of over 200 years.

Yohichi Yugeta, who is the fourth generation owner, keeps making soy sauce which represents the Japanese taste with the wisdom of his family motto, "We must treat each customer with honesty." He also has faith in his idea that, "Soy sauce is a food, so it must be safe to eat. Soy sauce is a condiment and it's meaningless if it is not delicious.” 

They also sell raw soy sauce which does not go through heat sterilization or microfiltration, so microorganisms such as yeast and lactobacillus bacteria are still alive. Unfortunately, transportation overseas is not possible because it needs refrigeration when it is transported. If you visit Japan, please stop by and try it.

Kioke Shikomi Soy Sauce (Koikuchi):

This multipurpose soy sauce is made with domestic soybeans. It’s recommended even for beginners to soy sauce. It is firmly matured so that the saltiness does not remain in the mouth. It can be used for dipping and for cooking. It’s popular among ramen chefs because the taste stays even when it is diluted with ramen soup.

We have received a wide range of inquiries; from kioke soy sauce beginners to professionals. Many noodle chefs use it since the rich taste remains even when using it in their soup. Try it with your own soy sauce ramen. It will transform the flavor into an exceptional taste.
Below are some of the supporting members listed in Yugeta’s website.
  • Handmade soba Kurumaya (Tokyo, Haichioji)
  • Handmade soba Michitei (Saitama Prefecture, Ogano)
  • Menya Shingen (Saitama Prefecture, Tsurugashima city)
  • Udon no Gagacha-ya (Saitama Prefecture, Tsurugashima city)
    There are 66 other shops

Why don’t you try making your own original ramen with this soy sauce?

Nitto jyozo: Mr.Ito, Mrs. Kaneko, Mr.Ninagawa (president):

Nitto Brewing has been making white soy sauce in Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture since its establishment.

In 1993, from the thoughts of one of the predecessors, they started to sell “Mikawa siro tamari” made with double the amount of wheat koji. It is made with domestic wheat, salt and water filtered in a water activator.
They wanted to make an even better shiro tamari. For brewing, the most important thing is water. That’s why they wanted to create a shiro tamari with better water that is natural and rich in minerals. The president of the company searched for good quality water, and he finally found a good spring water in Otaga, which is surrounded by nature, in Asuke town, Okumikawa, Aichi Prefecture.

In the place with good quality spring water, with the help of local people, Nitto brewing started to make the best shiro tamari with traditional wooden barrels at a retired elementary school.

Shiro tamari (white tamari):

As a result of pursuing the taste of traditional white soy sauce, they change the ratio of water to half of the original and stopped using soybeans. Because this soy sauce has a beautiful amber color, it highlights the original colors of the ingredients it is cooked with.

 

White tamari highlights the original colors of the ingredients and can also add mild umami flavors which cannot be replaced with salt. It is delicious to eat with white fresh fish, scallops and shrimp sashimi, and also along with lemon and olive oil as carpaccio.

Also, pickles made with this soy sauce instead of salt are recommended as a simple way to eat the soy sauce.

Recommended recipe: Asazuke (pickles)

 

You can add the umami of wheat into a clear golden ramen soup.

Ramen Shodai (Hokkaido, Otaru city):

All of the products above are soy sauces that have been selected carefully by the soy sauce sommelier Mr. Takahashi!

 

Q&A:

Q: I am worried that my order might not arrive from Japan safely.

A: Your order will be put in a dedicated box and packed carefully. If a bottle is broken, we will exchange it with a new product. In fact, the products are first delivered to a warehouse located in the US, then delivered by a reliable shipping company from there, so there is no need to be worried about the shipment.

 

Benefits:

In Japan, the best way to use soy sauce is mostly with fresh fish such as sashimi or sushi.

Sashimi recipe:



Sushi recipe:

There are also other options. Some say that doubled-brewed soy sauce goes well with vanilla ice cream!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, as mentioned above, the chefs in soba, ramen and udon restaurants are very particular about their soup, and always choose soy sauce that has been carefully selected by themselves.
Now we are having a launch celebration sale! Soy Sauce Japan will give you a soy sauce ramen recipe, made by chefs from a ramen restaurant. (It is only for this special celebration, so it is not shown in our website).
For soy sauce ramen, the type of soy sauce is important. Use this soy sauce will make your ramen the best. There is no doubt that it will attract people’s attention at a home party!

About the recipe:

  • Professional recipe that has been arranged for to make it a homemade recipe (we will guarantee the taste of this recipe).
  • Description of the taste of each soy sauce that is included in the set. 

 

 

 

    Reasons to buy now:

    Our companies carefully selected the soy sauce set. We are now having a launch celebration sale and it's only $96 instead of $120! This price even include the international shipping costs from Japan!

    Participation form (If you are the owner of the restaurant or if you want to be a business partner, please contact us separately).

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    If you have any other requests for professional recipes, please let us know! Soy Sauce Japan works our best to introduce delicious Japanese dishes that are easy to make for people around the world.