High quality traditional whole soybean shoyu, such as Mitoku's Kagisa and Johsen products, accounts for less than one percent of Japan's production. Over ninety-nine percent is commercial soy sauce, which is made using hexane-defatted soy beans, fermented at high temperatures for three to six months and often bottled with additives. An even lower grade product, called synthetic soy sauce, is often sold in supermarkets. This product is not even fermented, but is a mixture of hydrolyzed soy protein, color additives and flavoring agents.
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