THE TRADITIONAL SOY SAUCE FACTORY

Soy sauce fermentation is one of the traditional fermentation which was introduced into Malaysia with the influx of Chinese immigrants. With the coming of the Chinese immigrants they brought along with them not only their cultures but also their fermentation technology to make soy sauce or kicap.
The traditional soy sauce fermentation is not really an active fermentation industry but considered more as a passive fermentation industry that rely on low technology. Of course now these traditional technology are slowly being transformed or phase out by the assimilation of modern fermentation technology to be economical and competitive.
What ever the soy sauce produced by the traditional fermentation technology is far more superior in its organo leptic properties and much sought after.
You know when you are in close proximity of the traditional soy sauce fermentation factory. You can smell the unmistakable heavy earthy and salty smell emanating from the various vats that hold the fermenting soy sauce at different stages of the soy sauce fermentation.
If you approach closer you will see rows and rows of earthen fermentation vats containing the fermenting soy sauce exposed to the light and temperature of the searing sun. And it would be a good opportunity to see workers rushing to close the lids of the exposed fermenting vats once they suspect the rain is coming. Sounds of the lids being placed back on the vats sounds more like a orchestra of clashing cymbels
If you look close enough into the fermenting vats you will see thick layer of cooked soya bean cakes floating on the surface of the fermenting broth in various stages of organic decomposition
It is not uncommon due to the strong flavor and smell emanating from the vats to attract numerous unwanted ‘visitors’ ranging from flies to even other animals. Maybe they do contribute to the taste?
In theory the process of making soy sauce is simple but it takes a long fermenting period. Good soy sauce could not be hastened in its fermentation
A good description of how soy sauce fermentation is carried out could be seen in the following url: http://www.tamin.com.my/eng/our_progress2.html#



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