Reproducing Taste: Bodily Knowledge and the Science of Soy Sauce in Modern Japan

Abstract

Soy sauce production in early modern Japan was labor-intensive, normally involving a large community of specialized workers who contributed to its various aspects. Yet, by the late nineteenth century, the transformation of these foods into modern commodities involved not only technological changes for increasing scalability, but also the seemingly contradictory idea of using new scientific methods to reproduce “traditional” tastes. This paper will explore one aspect of this issue, focusing on technological innovation from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, and examining how soy sauce producers employed new methods to preserve, transform, and/or re-invented the taste of soy sauce. In particular, how did these producers attempt to recreate the “authentic” taste of their brand? How do individuals quantify “taste?” Is “taste” reproducible in mass production? Did the new methods raise questions about purity and adulteration to a “traditional” product?