Hechuan Soy Sauce

Hechuan Soy Sauce

　　The “Hechuan Brand” soy sauce originated during the Guangxu era. It was first produced by Dai Dacheng, a native of Hechuan, who opened the Dacheng Sauce Workshop on Wai Xiaoyi Street, making “Kouma Soy Sauce.” Soon after, Zou Fuchen from Jiangbei established the Minliquan Sauce Workshop near Sanbuti outside the North Gate, producing “Treasure-Grade Soy Sauce.” At that time, Dai Dacheng’s soy sauce was considered the best. During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, there was a folk saying in Sichuan: “Hechuan soy sauce, Baoning vinegar, and Fengdu’s famous fermented tofu.” In the late 1920s, Zou Yingjie, the grandson of Zou Fuchen, returned from studying in Japan and joined his father in continuing the family business. By combining scientific brewing methods with traditional craftsmanship, they rapidly improved the product quality. In the 21st year of the Republic of China (1932), Minliquan’s Treasure-Grade Soy Sauce won a silver medal and certificate for high-quality soy sauce at the Sichuan Provincial Commodities Exhibition. This significantly enhanced the reputation of Hechuan soy sauce, leading to a surge in sales.

After the liberation, in March 1956, three private sauce workshops merged to form the Hechuan Public-Private Joint Venture Sauce Factory (later renamed the State-Owned Hechuan Brewing Factory). The factory continued to expand its facilities, building new soy sauce workshops, bacterial culture rooms, and laboratories equipped with a full set of analytical testing devices to ensure product quality. Hechuan Brand soy sauce boasts a unique savory and mellow aroma, rich in amino acid nitrogen. It has a delicious, slightly sweet taste, thick yet clear juice, and a long-lasting aftertaste. It helps stimulate appetite, aids digestion, and enhances nutrition. In 1982, it was awarded the title of High-Quality Soy Sauce in the Yongchuan Regional Industry Competition. In January 1985, it received the Chongqing High-Quality Food title in the Chongqing City industry competition. Then in April of the same year, it scored the highest mark of 97.5 in the National Soy Sauce Competition, ranking at the top and winning the Ministry of Commerce’s High-Quality Product Award.