310 
Philippine Journal of Science 
1919 
Baskets . — The bamboo baskets, lo (|g), 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 rg *£), “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 xvong kam tau ( jr ^ > “yellow bean,” grown 
in Manchuria and known as coming from Ngau Chong (4 1 jjt ), 
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 (zh^Hl), 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 3 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. 
