History of soy sauce

The words ‘soy’, ‘soya’ and ‘soja’ and the term ‘soy sauce’ came to English from the Japanese word shoyu via the Dutch. The first European language document in which the words for ‘soy’ or ‘soy sauce’ appeared was Dutch.

The origin of soy sauce is considered to be China where only soy beans are used as a raw material. According to hypothesis by Kinichiro Sakaguchi, soy sauce was derived from a Chinese food called ‘chiang’.

Book of Chou-li first recorded that chiang was made during ancient dynasty of Chou (1222 BC – 249 BC). The used soybean in chiang was originated sometimes between the Chou and Han dynasties, when the cultivation of soybeans prevailed.

In the sixteenth century a vegetarian seasoning came with Buddhism from China to Japan. After that soy sauce underwent considerable development in Japan. In the second half of the 17th century, the large scale industry production of soy sauce occurred, backed by a huge consumption in a large cities such Edo (Tokyo).

In 1837, Worcestershire Sauce made by Lea and Perrins, soon becomes the best known commercial soy product made in England. The main secret ingredient is soy sauce.
History of soy sauce