Wan Ja Shan / 萬家香 is what happens when your love for Soy Sauce becomes a delicious obsession. Almost 75 years ago, their founder, Wen Hwa-Wu went a little over the foodie deep end. Under the tutelage of Buddhist Monks, he crafted an heirloom recipe for soy sauce that we still use to this day. The company’s name literally translates as “The Aroma of 10,000 Houses,” because it was whispered that you could smell Wu’s sauce from miles away. Wan Ja Shan bottled up that Salty Passion and crossed the ocean to turn dinner on its head State Side. If that wasn’t enough, Wu couldn’t just open a factory and call it a day. He felt the need to do it right. Go figure. Wu built the company home in Upstate New York, where they have access to clean water and the peace of nature. Because calm and patience are essential ingredients in their authentic process. Oh yeah…social and eco-responsibility…don’t even get them started. These are the tenants on which he constructed the companies ideals. So yeah…all in all. He was a pretty o.k. guy. Spice is nice, but that rich, salty Umami flavor… is oh, so much better.