Paper short abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to examine the industrial development of soy sauce brewing in the colonial Korea, and how the colonial soy sauce brewing industry developed and was further transformed during the war.

Paper long abstract:

Although soy sauce brewed from soybeans represents a common feature of East Asian food culture, traditional soy sauce in Korea did not use koji [yeast] as in the Japanese brewing system, but instead naturally fermented miso balls made from soybeans and added salt water, which was then allowed to sink out of the miso balls and used as a traditional seasoning. In this respect, the traditional Korean soy sauce was similar to the traditional Japanese homemade tamari. In contrast, soy sauce, commonly called koikuchi [concentrated taste] in Japan, is made from barley as well as soybeans, and is fermented as moromi [unrefined soy sauce] which is obtained by straining it, not by making miso ball. This method of brewing had already taken root in the Edo period (1603-1867), and soy sauce was sold in large quantities for the large urban market.

During the colonial period, the Japanese brewing method was introduced for the seasoning soy sauce, and it took root and spread in Korea after the war, becoming the base of the taste. Soy sauce brewing was separated from the household, which was both producer and consumer, and began to change to a factory system. This paper examines how the traditional Korean soy sauce became an industry capable of mass production through the colonial experience, and became a profit-seeking business. In the process, the original taste was lost, and the new taste was taken for granted. We can rediscover the distorted image of history.