Learning Experience-Soy Sauce DIY
1. Description of Soy Sauce DIY process
During the visit and interview for the first time, we have understood that Shinhochun Soy Sauce factory is not the sightseeing factory without providing the experience activity of Soy Sauce DIY. For this, all of us feel a little disappointed. However, when Mr. Shih-ming Chang knows that we come here for the purpose of participating in “Cyberfair”, he agrees to our little request to experience Soy Sauce DIY, so that we can have an actual experience in one day in the summer vocation and we can have a deeper experience and better understanding of the project content.
We have waited for a long time after coming back from the Shinhochun Soy Sauce factory. Finally, the call comes. Our team departs at 8 o’clock in that morning, as Mr. Shih-ming Chang has told us that that day will be very busy. Therefore, we need to arrive earlier to make the preparations to experience this rare opportunity well.
After arriving in “Shinhochun”, Mr. Shih-ming Chang explains in detail about the work content and attentions today. In order to avoid our injuries, as for the more dangerous work, Mr. Shih-ming Chang just leads us to visit it without actual participation; as for other work, we actually participate in it. We especially thank “Shinhochun” for spending time instructing us, so that we can have a deeper understanding of soy sauce’s making process.
Now, come with us to experience it！
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First, it is the test of carefulness: the yellow powders are koji powders; pick out the rotten or poor-quality black soybeans |
After koji making is completed, it is the test of patience and physical strength: fill up barrel with black soybeans |
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Test of concentration level: each barrel is filled up with 10kg |
Lay the 10Kg black soybeans down on the big bamboo plate for the preparation of koji seeding; the better ventilation effect in bamboo contributes to the better fermentation effect |
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Everyone is working hard at learning and feedback |
7-10 days later, the fermentation will be like this. Due to the limited time, Mr. Chang directly leads us to see the results in 7-10 days |
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Carry the black soybeans whose koji has been seeded and which has been washed by Mr. Chang, and then prepare to put them in the jar |
Help employees carry coarse salt |
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Prepare to mix the coarse salt and fermented black soybeans; Mr. Chang reminds us that the mixture should be uniform, thus the quality of soy sauce can be better |
After the mixture, stir the black soybeans and coarse salt uniformly |
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After stirring them uniformly, put them in the jar slowly so that the black soybean will not be sprinkled out |
Putting them in the jar again and again; finally, put a layer of coarse salt on it; and then the work is finished |
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Looking at the finished work photo, we feel a sense of achievement |
Mr. Chang directly opens a jar of mature soy sauce for us to look. The soy sauce in the middle of hole is “aged soy sauce”, and the process requires about 180 days |
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Learn to package soy sauce and paste the label |
In the serious learning and feedback, the ending of Soy Sauce DIY |
2. Afterthoughts
In my childhood, my parents also bought me to the soy sauce factory to do the DIY, and that is just the little DIY for tourist’ experience. However, in the DIY for this time, we have the opportunity to actually work together with the employees. With one-day efforts, we have confirmed the complicated making process of natural soy sauce. During the process, no chemical raw materials are added. At present, the food safety problems emerge one after another, and “Shinhochun” can be the model of food manufacturing.
A bottle of natural soy sauce is produced after 180-day making and brewing, and all the processes must be actually carried out. From this DIY experience, we have realized that if every process in everything is done well with heart and efforts, the results will be possibly nice.
In the end, what has moved all of us is that Mr. Chang says that he will inform us of going back to harvest that jar of soy sauce done by us 180 days later and give it to us as a gift. When we hear this news, in our inner heart, we really feel Mr. Chang’s care for the promotion of soy sauce. Another feeling is that it is very rare for us to have the opportunity to do such an experience in life.
Source：produced by our team
