【Reading】うすくちしょうゆ

【English Name】Light Soy Sauce

An indispensable presence in Kansai Japanese cuisine is usukuchi soy sauce (light soy sauce). Prized for its light color and gentle aroma, it possesses an individuality in contrast to koikuchi (dark) soy sauce.

The circumstances of its birth trace back to Kanbun 6, the year 1666. In Tatsuno of Harima Province—a place located in present-day Tatsuno City, Hyogo Prefecture—Maruo Magobei devised his own method of mixing rice saccharification liquid into the moromi mash, producing a pale-colored soy sauce. At first it stayed local, but eventually, entering the 18th century, supply expanded to the Kyoto area. It became deeply rooted in the flavor-making of Kamigata cuisine.

It works widely in Japanese dishes where one wishes to keep beautiful the colors that ingredients possess, such as simmered dishes and clear soups. In sushi too, when added to toppings of delicate flavor such as shellfish and white fish, it brings out their qualities without intruding upon them. Contrary to its pale appearance, its salt content tends to exceed that of koikuchi, so one should pay attention to adjusting the amount.

In the midst of the Pacific War, in 1944, brewing in Tatsuno was forced to halt temporarily under the impact of raw-material controls. Today, Tatsuno City in Hyogo Prefecture is one of the nation's leading production areas.