Ode to soy The perfect sauce? An expert spills the beans

In the lush foothills of Damyang county, rows of earthenware jars stood under the Korean sky. Inside each vessel, a transformation was taking place. This is the domain of Ki Soon-do, South Korea's sole grand master of traditional aged soy sauce, where patience isn't just a virtue but an essential ingredient.

- By Raphael Rashid

"Here, try this," Ki said, removing the heavy lid from one of the 1,200 pots. She dipped a ladle into the dark liquid, releasing a complex aroma.

"Smell it first, then taste just a droplet." The flavour unfolded slowly, first salty, then deeply savoury, with hints of something almost floral.

"Korean traditional soy sauce needs three things: soybeans, water and salt," Ki explained. "And care and time. Without time, there is no flavour. In modern life, everyone is rushing. But some things cannot be rushed."

At 75, Ki is the 10th-generation custodian of her family's saucemaking legacy. She is a traditional jang maker, a term that describes a family of fermented soybean condiments that season virtually every Korean dish: ganjang (soy sauce), doenjang (soybean paste), and gochujang (fermented chilli paste). These aren't just seasonings but the foundational flavours that define Korean cuisine.

"Our jang and doenjang are like the roots of Korean people," Ki said firmly. "When we talk about Korean food, we're talking about jang." In December 2024, after years of dedicated work by Ki and other traditional jang makers, their craft was officially recognised by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, a testament to generations of meticulous preservation.