The guardian of the traditional soy sauce making craft in Đường Lâm.

For almost his entire life, Mr. Ha Huu The (in Mong Phu hamlet, Duong Lam ancient village, Son Tay district, Hanoi) has been dedicated to making soy sauce. For him, making soy sauce is not just a means of livelihood but also a way to preserve the soul of his homeland and the cultural traditions of his ancestors.

Making soy sauce is a laborious process.

Meeting Mr. Ha Huu The in the early days of the Lunar New Year of the Snake, we listened as he recounted the process of making Duong Lam sticky rice paste - a traditional flavor of the Doai region.

Mr. The recounted: Soy sauce is usually made from May to July each year because that's when there's plenty of sunshine, which is ideal for the fermentation process. The entire process is done manually, without using any machinery. It starts with selecting the ingredients, including glutinous rice, soybeans, mung beans, and making the mold, bean water, earthenware jars, etc.

The rice used to make soy sauce must be glutinous rice of the "golden flower" variety or other fragrant, delicious glutinous rice varieties with a nutty flavor, and not overly polished to retain its nutrients. The rice is then steamed and spread out on a tray to wait a few days until green mold appears.

The soybeans are roasted until they are perfectly cooked, fragrant, and have a beautiful color, then ground into a fine powder and left to dry overnight. The soybeans are soaked in a ceramic jar; the soaking water must be taken from the village's laterite well to ensure it is cool and clear enough.

Once the ingredients have been pre-processed, the mixing process begins with a meticulous balance of brine, bean soaking water, and rice mold. First, add the brine to the jar, then the soy sauce, and finally the mold. Then, stir the mold and brine together until the mold is thoroughly mixed with the bean paste.

Mr. Ha Huu The inside a stage of making sticky rice paste - a famous traditional product of Duong Lam ancient village.

To achieve the desired consistency and color of the soy sauce, Mr. The has to stir it daily, usually in the morning and at noon. In the morning, he opens the jar and stirs the soy sauce evenly from the bottom up to ensure perfect uniformity, then leaves it in the sun until evening before closing the lid. It takes about a month for the mold to dissipate completely. At this point, the soy sauce settles to the bottom of the jar, and the liquid turns a golden yellow, like the color of mustard flowers, rising to the surface, signaling that the entire batch has reached perfect ripeness. "Each batch of soy sauce requires uniformity in color and texture, as these factors directly determine the quality of the final product," he says.

Soy sauce has become an indispensable condiment for many families in Duong Lam. It's used as a dipping sauce for raw and fried tofu, in braised fish, water spinach, sweet potato leaves, and braised meat. In particular, the soy sauce is used to braise fish along with other spices like caramel sauce, a few slices of galangal, and a few pieces of pork belly in an earthenware pot, making the fish very tender and eliminating the fishy smell. Soy sauce has also become a popular souvenir for tourists visiting Duong Lam.

Passing on the passion for the profession.

Every year, Mr. The's family produces thousands of liters of soy sauce, not only serving the domestic market but also reaching international markets.

The earthenware jars of soy sauce from the ancient village of Đường Lâm, in which Mr. Thể's family contributed, not only hold value as a local specialty but also as a cultural symbol, embodying a love for the craft, relentless creativity, and a strong will to overcome all difficulties.

According to Mr. The, making soy sauce is not just a means of livelihood for him, but also a way to preserve the flavors of his homeland and pass on traditional values ​​to the younger generation. Every day, he dedicates time to meticulously training and guiding young people in the village through each stage, from selecting ingredients and fermenting the soy sauce to packaging the product.

The neatly arranged jars of soy sauce in the corners of the courtyards of Duong Lam ancient village have become a beautiful cultural feature of this ancient village.

"Once you're passionate about it, you stick with the craft for life. Even elderly people in their 70s and 80s still carry water, ferment soy sauce, and work diligently despite the low income. This is both a source of joy and a way to connect with the traditional craft village," Mr. Ha Huu The shared.