Zhongba 360 Light Soy Sauce (Naturally Brewed 1 Year)

Finally, America has a premium, naturally brewed Chinese soy sauce with no additives or preservatives. Sichuan's famed Zhongba Soy Sauce has been made continuously since 1828 and is still made the traditional way, creating umami organically over a long fermentation period with zero need for added sugar, alcohol, caramel, msg, chemicals and preservatives. 

As many articles on the Internet will tell you, if you live in the U.S. you've probably never tasted real soy sauce, since supermarket soy sauces usually contain one or all of the above ingredients to make up for the fact that they are fermented for only a short period of time or, worse, created chemically over a few days.

This premium 360 Soy Sauce—which is Zhongba's light soy sauce—is for everyday use, as it is made in large tanks, while the ultra-premium handcrafted version is made in small crocks that are hand-stirred daily for one year. The large-batch product is made with the same all-natural recipe, and it ages in transparent tanks that allow the sun to do its daily magic over the one-year fermentation period. Like the handmade version, the 360 version is made from the first pressing of the fermented soybeans, whereas many supermarket soy sauces are made from soybeans that have been fermented a second time with new brine and are therefore less flavorful. 

Like all traditional Chinese soy sauce, Zhongba Soy Sauce is made from water, soybean, wheat, salt and time. But it does have a secret umami ingredient: mushroom. The company sources a white mushroom that grows wild in Zhangjiakou (in northern China) called "mouth mushroom" 口蘑 (kǒumó), among the most expensive and highly demanded mushrooms in China. Like the Asian matsutake, the small, fleshy mouth mushroom is a member of the Tricholoma genus and has been prized for centuries for its taste and nutrients. The dried mushroom is infused into the fermented sauce, contributing its natural glutamic acid.

Zhongba does not taste like mushroom, per se, but this proprietary mix makes for a deep-red soy sauce with full body and mouthfeel and a compellingly complex flavor that is so much more than salty. We invite you to do a taste test with this soy sauce and any other you happen to have on hand to understand the true difference a long, natural brewing process and 200 years of experience make. 

Unlike Southern China, which is well known for its light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, Sichuan traditionally had just one type of soy sauce. But nowadays it follows the Southern tradition and calls this a light soy sauce, as opposed to a "dark" soy sauce, which has added molasses. Light does not refer to calories, salt content or taste. 

(While there are some very fine Japanese soy sauces being imported to the U.S., they are very different in production process, ingredients and ratios and are not recommended for Chinese cooking.) 

The Zhongba factory is a China Time-Honored Brand, meaning it has painstakingly documented its long and esteemed history.

Producer: Sichuan Qingxiangyuan Flavoring Co., Jiangyou, Sichuan
Ingredients: water, soybean, wheat, salt, mushroom
Contains: soybean, wheat
Size: 16.9 ounces (500ml)

Non-GMO, Vegan

• Trump tariff, partially reflected in price: 58%
• A Mala Market Exclusive
• All-natural soy sauce with no additives or preservatives
• Naturally brewed for 360 days
• Full-bodied and deep-red color
• Proprietary recipe ferments soybeans with the prized "mouth mushroom" for added umami and nutrients
• China Time-Honored Brand, in operation since 1828

"Transformative. The best soy sauce for the money I have tried in years." —Chef Andrew Zimmern