Summer sunshine makes the flavor of soy sauce even stronger.

In Nam Dan district, people in many communes and towns know how to make soy sauce, with Nam Dan town being home to many households producing soy sauce commercially. The Phan Boi Chau area, in particular, has been recognized as a traditional soy sauce making village. The establishment of the Sa Nam Soy Sauce Cooperative has also contributed to the further development of soy sauce production in Nam Dan. (Photo: Huy Thu)

Nam Dan soy sauce is made from four main ingredients: soybeans, glutinous rice, salt, and water. According to locals, the soy sauce making process involves many steps: fermentation, cooking the soybeans, and pounding the soybeans. The soybeans must be of good quality, roasted evenly, crushed, cleaned, and cooked for about 12-14 hours. Photo: Huy Thu

High-quality glutinous rice is steamed and fermented for about a week, then dried and ground into a fine powder. The mold fermentation process is extremely important and determines the quality of the soy sauce. Mold that is yellowish-red is considered standard; when it changes color, the soy sauce will be sweet. (Photo: Huy Thư)

Most soy sauce-producing families in Nam Dan now have experience in fermenting and making mold. Because the mold-fermentation process is complex and laborious, many soy sauce producers here buy ready-made mold. Some households both produce soy sauce and mold to sell to other soy sauce producers in the area. Photo: Huy Thu

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (81 years old) from Mai Hac De ward, Nam Dan town, shared: She learned how to make soy sauce when she was 13 years old, but has been producing it for sale for about 30 years now. According to Ms. Thuy, after the soybean milk is left to dry for a week, the soy sauce is ready to be made by adding mold powder and salt, stirring well, and sealing it tightly with cloth or plastic. Photo: Huy Thu

Seven days after the soy sauce is prepared, every morning, the soy sauce maker must open the lid of the jar and use a bamboo stick to stir vigorously about 100 times to ensure the soy sauce mixture dissolves and blends together. Photo: Huy Thu

Currently, in Nam Dan town, there are dozens of households producing soy sauce, each with 10 to 30 jars of soy sauce. Depending on the conditions and experience of each household, the jars are placed outdoors or indoors. Jars placed outdoors, exposed to sunlight, are easier to dry. In strong sunlight, soy sauce making is more laborious, but the soy sauce becomes even more flavorful. Photo: Huy Thu

A household that produces a large quantity of soy sauce can maintain 50-60 jars of soy sauce. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong (60 years old) from Mai Hac De block, one of the households that produces the most soy sauce in Nam Dan town, said that her family currently has 60 jars of soy sauce, and the production takes place continuously, keeping them busy all day long. Photo: Huy Thu

Currently, the majority of those involved in soy sauce production in Nam Dan town are elderly people or retirees. A few households have younger generations continuing the craft. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ty (70 years old) from Phan Boi Chau neighborhood shared: She and her husband maintain the soy sauce making profession not only to earn extra income and enjoy their old age, but also to contribute to preserving the traditional craft of their homeland. In the photo: The soy sauce jars of the village are usually numbered and marked with the date of fermentation. Photo: Huy Thu

According to Mr. Nguy Dinh Quy (76 years old), a veteran soy sauce maker in Phan Boi Chau ward, Nam Dan town, soy sauce can be used a few weeks after fermentation, but for the best taste, it must be fermented for about 2-3 months. Nam Dan soy sauce does not use preservatives, but it can be stored for years and still be good to use. Photo: Huy Thu

Although each household produces according to traditional family recipes, the common advantage of Nam Dan soy sauce is its beautiful color, rich, sweet, and fragrant taste, making it suitable for dipping vegetables and meat, braising fish, and making sauces. After a period of stagnation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the soy sauce making industry in Nam Dan town is thriving again. Nam Dan soy sauce, a local specialty, is once again reaching markets throughout Vietnam, from the South to the North, and even abroad. Photo: Huy Thu