Abstract
Soy sauce is a seasoning agent with a salty taste and a distinct aroma suggestive of meat extracts. The sauce is made by fermentation of a combination of soy beans and wheat in water and salt. This paper covers the method for production of fermented soy sauce, and that for acid-hydrolysis of defatted soy bean proteins. The microorganisms involved in soy sauce production, and biochemical and chemical changes in soy bean and wheat during fermentation influence greatly the sensory attributes and quality of soy sauce. Recent progress in industrialization of soy sauce manufacture is discussed.