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A South Korean grand master on the art of the perfect soy sauce

Ki Soon-do’s soy sauce has been served to Donald Trump and gained Unesco heritage protection. It is recognition that is 370 years in the making

In December 2024, after years of dedicated work by Ki and other traditional jang makers, their craft was officially recognised by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, a testament to generations of meticulous preservation. Unlike mass-produced commercial sauces and pastes, Ki’s process begins in winter when soybeans are boiled, crushed and shaped into blocks called meju. Her dedication gained international attention in 2017 when her then 360-year-old “seed sauce” known as ssiganjang, a family heirloom continuously replenished with each year’s best batch (in a way similar to a sourdough starter), was selected to season beef ribs served to then US president Donald Trump during a state banquet.

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