310 Philippine Journal of Science "i* 



Baskets. — The bamboo baskets, lo (||>, used to drain the 

 beans after they are boiled are round at the top and narrow 

 toward the bottom, which is flat and more square than round. 

 Various sizes can be purchased, but the commonest are 15 inches 

 deep. They cost about 65 cents local silver each (Plate IV, 

 fig. 2). 



Covers. — Nothing is more important than a good cover with 

 which to protect the sauce at night and when it rains (Plate V, 

 fig. 1). A standard conical bamboo cover, 21 inches in diameter 

 and 12 inches high, is used. These fit snugly over the top of the 

 cylindrical jars and can be purchased for 35 cents each. This 

 cover is called tsim teng chuk lap (^ jg *ft 3£)» -"pointed top 

 bamboo." 



Raw materials. — The raw materials used in the making of soy 

 sauce are soy beans (Plate VI, fig. 1), flour, salt, and water. 

 All of these are available in great quantity on the Canton 

 market. The wong kam tau ( j|r ^ IgT) , "yellow bean," grown 

 in Manchuria and known as coming from Ngau Chong (<$■ $£ ), 

 is recognized as the best variety of soy bean to be used. This 

 bean is yellow and is slightly smaller than the American soup 

 bean ; the outside coat is thick and tough and does not break apart 

 easily after the bean is boiled. The Chinese consider this char- 

 acteristic to be very important, for they wish to keep the bean 

 as much intact as possible for the molding process. T'o fui 

 min ( ±: $ SH ) , local third wheat flour," comes from Kwang- 

 tung. The shaang im (££ gg) , "raw salt," comes from Tientsin. 



Method of mixing. — Soy sauce can be made in almost any 

 quantity, but the beans mold much better and faster in large 

 quantities. It is very difficult to obtain figures on the amounts 

 of materials that are used. Each maker will tell you that he 

 fills his iron sauce pan with beans and buys sufficient flour to 

 mix with it and adds the salt solution at the proper time. In 

 order to secure satisfactory data on the quantity of material 

 used, it is necessary to be present when each process takes place. 



Boiling of beans. — One Canton manufacturer "• purchases 1,400 

 catties of beans at one time, dividing them into two boilings. 

 This amount of beans, together with 1,200 catties of flour, 

 provides sufficient molded beans to stock thirty-six jars. The 

 beans are placed in a large iron pan (Plate I) and covered 

 with about 1,100 catties of water. They are then boiled until 

 soft. Care must be taken that the outside coat does not break. 



5 The establishment referred to on page 308. 



