Taicang Zaoyou Production Technique Taicang Zaoyou was first created during the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods of the Qing Dynasty. The creator, Li Wujiang, was a businessman who ran a sauce garden and brewed wine in Taicang City. He soaked white glutinous rice in water and steamed it, added sweet wine medicine, and fermented it in a tank for more than 50 days to make a wine pulp. Then, more than 20 auxiliary materials such as cloves, laurel, jade fruit, fennel, polygonatum, mushrooms, angelica, tangerine peel, licorice, pepper, wheat koji, and salt were added to the wine pulp. After being sealed for a period of time, a unique dregs aroma appeared. Later, Li Wujiang selected spices and made improvements, mixing the new product into the dregs oil base. After being sealed in the tank for a year, a new seasoning dregs oil with a better taste was produced. The magic of dregs oil lies in its base, and the longer the time, the more fragrant the dregs oil. The business model of Taicang Zaoyou was initially a small workshop-style production, and the store was named "Lao Yicheng". Later, Taicang Zaoyou was loved by Empress Dowager Cixi. The old Yicheng store hung a large plaque with the words "Jincheng Zaoyou" in gold characters, and thus, the business was booming and its reputation was growing. Despite the ups and downs of the past century, "Old Yicheng" has always preserved the foundation of Zaoyou, so that Taicang Zaoyou can be passed down. After liberation, "Old Yicheng" was named the State-owned Taicang Sauce Factory after a public-private partnership. In the 1980s, Taicang Zaoyou had its own brand, registered as "Xiangyu" brand Zaoyou. The State-owned Taicang Sauce Factory was also renamed the State-owned Taicang Zaoyou Factory, and Zaoyou was officially put into mass production and sales. In December 2008, Taicang Zaoyou moved from the old factory in Chengxiang to Shuangfeng, stepping onto a new level. In August 2001, the company was restructured as a whole and renamed Taicang Zaoyou Food Co., Ltd., with an annual output of about 300 tons of Zaoyou and an annual sales volume of about 200 tons. At present, Taicang Zaoyou has entered more than 100 retail stores in Suzhou and more than 300 in Shanghai. The ingredients of Taicang lees oil are lees juice, salt, and monosodium glutamate, which are mixed to produce a coffee-colored, salty and fragrant aroma. The production of lees oil requires several processes, including material selection, steaming, pouring, fermentation, and sealing the tank. First, high-quality glutinous rice without impurities and yellow grains should be selected and soaked in a rice soaking pool. After the rice is soaked, rinse it with clean water, pour it into a steaming bucket and steam it. Then lift the steamed rice to the warm water pool and pour it twice to ensure that the temperature required for mixing medicine reaches 22 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius. After pouring the rice, drain it, add the soup medicine according to the formula, stir evenly, dig a round hole, and then cover the tank cover. Ferment for 7 to 10 days at room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius. Then add tap water according to the formula and continue to ferment for about 7 days, then remove the rice lees and squeeze it. Finally, crush various natural spices and add salt, caramel, etc. to the honey according to the formula, stir evenly, inject it into the tank, seal the tank and store it for at least one year. At the 1915 Panama World Exposition, Taicang lees oil won a gold medal for its magical lees aroma. After 1985, Taicang lees oil successively won the Ministry of Commerce's Quality Food Certificate, the China Food Expo Gold Award, the International Food and Processing Technology Expo Gold Award, etc. Taicang lees oil is a condiment that can remove fishy smells, enhance freshness and fragrance, stimulate appetite, and is rich in nutrition. The lees aroma is magical and intoxicating, and it suits the taste of people in the south of the Yangtze River. People in the south of the Yangtze River like to add lees oil to fish soup and some vegetables when cooking to make the dishes more delicious. The magical lees aroma brings people unexpected surprises and a unique and exquisite Jiangnan flavor. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)