Procedure for Making Soy Sauce at Pingtung Prison, Agency of Corrections

Step 1: Soaking and Steaming
First, soak the soybeans for one day to allow them to expand and absorb water.
After soaking, steam the soybeans until they are fully cooked and soft.

Step 2: Mixing and Fermenting
Mix the steamed soybeans with wheat and yeast powder.
Divide the mixture and transfer it into a fermentation room.
Control the fermentation temperature between 35 to 40°C.
During fermentation, regularly turn and mix the beans to ensure even exposure to air and consistent fermentation.

Step 3: Salting and Long-Term Fermentation
After 5 days, transfer the fermented soybean mixture to a sauce pool.
Add crude salt and water according to a specific ratio.
Let the mixture ferment for over 4 months.
During this period, stir the mixture 2 to 3 times daily to promote even fermentation.

Step 4: Pressing and Refining
Once fermentation reaches a certain level, press the mixture to extract the first round of soy sauce.
After pressing, filter out impurities.
Add sugar, licorice root, and salt during the refining process to enhance the flavor.
The first pressed soy sauce is called "low-stock soy sauce."

Step 5: Second Pressing and Advanced Soy Sauce
The remaining bean dregs from the first pressing are pressed again.
This second extraction is known as "advanced stock soy sauce."

Step 6: Traditional and Natural Fermentation
The soy sauce is produced using traditional methods, fermented naturally for over four months with Qu’s fungus.
The result is a high-quality soy sauce with a rich flavor, free from artificial additives and amino-based chemicals.
This naturally brewed soy sauce was once used to flavor Pingtung’s famous Ten Thousand Hill Pig's Trotter, adding to its distinctive taste and superior quality.