Have you ever considered the history of something as simple as soy sauce? For the most part, this cultural phenomenon may be little more to you than a condiment you might sprinkle on your food at our Bellevue Korean restaurant. However, there is an ancient history surrounding this humble sauce that goes far, far back into the shrouded reaches of human civilization.

We can’t know for sure when soy sauce was first invented, though it apparently originated in ancient China. Before people could refrigerate their food, they needed to come up with creative ways to preserve perishables. To the ancient Chinese, preserved food and the seasonings that went into their preservation (usually salt) were called jiang. Jiang was made from meat, seafood, vegetables, and even grains. The grain-based jiang was easily accessible, so the fermentation of soybeans and wheat developed rapidly. Over time, this became the soy sauce we know today.