A South Korean grand master on the art of the perfect soy sauce

Summary

In the lush foothills of Damyang county, South Jeolla province, rows of earthenware jars stand under the Korean sky. Inside each clay vessel, a quiet transformation is taking place, one that has been occurring on this land for centuries.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 the essential ingredient in her craft.“Here, try this,” Ki says, removing the heavy lid from one of the 1,200 pots. She dips a ladle into the dark liquid, releasing a complex aroma. “Smell it first, then taste just a droplet.”The flavour unfolds slowly, first salty, then deeply savoury, with hints of something almost floral. It bears little resemblance to the bottles labelled “soy sauce” in western supermarkets.“Korean traditional soy sauce needs three things: soybeans, water and salt,” Ki explains. “And care and time. Without time, there is no flavour. In modern life, everyone is rushing. But some things cannot be rushed.”Master Ki carefully breaks down lumps in doenjang (fermented soybean paste), ensuring consistent texture before the next stage of ageing. Photograph: Raphael Rashid/The GuardianAt 75, Ki is the 10th-generation custodian of her family’s sauce-making legacy. When she married into a prestigious family at 23, she inherited not just a household but the responsibility for preserving fermentation techniques dating back 370 years.Ki 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 says firmly. “When we talk about Korean food, we’re talking about jang. Without it, you cannot call it Korean cuisine.”What began as a domestic obligation for Ki has since transformed into a missio...