But trust the Japanese to be as meticulous and proud of even the most mundane creation as they would with anything else.

Hamadaya, a Japanese brand producing sauces for 200 years, is now available here, and it's halal too!

The sauces are being produced by Bidor Kwong Heng, a Malaysian manufacturer with Halal and international food manufacturing standards.

Approved by its brewmaster

The recipe for Hamadaya sauces have been perfected and maintained for over 200 years.

Its seventh-generation brewmaster Hironari Hamada, in a video message aired during the Malaysian launch event, said that as the brewmaster, he strives to ensure the sauces consistency, flavour, and aroma are at its best.

"The best ingredients are used to make quality soy sauces that fit the tastes of the people in this region.

"For decades, we've been working to make Hamadaya sauces a truly global seasoning, bringing fresh, delicious experiences to people all over the world, leading to a richer and healthier lifestyle. Our dedication to Southeast Asia, one of the world's largest and most vibrant emerging market, spans the next 200 years and beyond," he said.

Manufactured locally

It's not easy to get JAKIM's halal certification.

The requirements are stringent, so when JAKIM says it's halal, you can be very sure that it is.

Bidor Kwang Heng Managing Director Khaw Teik Lye said that when the company first thought of introducing Hamadaya sauces to the Malaysian market, it knew that the products have to be halal.

"Malaysia, with its strict halal accreditation practice, is the ideal hub for halal food production. Also, there is an ongoing demand for halal-certified Japanese products, so we are very excited to be the one bringing these award-winning sauces into the Malaysian market.

"We first introduced the sauces in Malaysia back in October 2020, and the response has been amazing so far," he said.

Definitely delicious

The launch of the sauce was held at Japas by Chef Ramsey, a Japanese tapas restaurant owned by the Michelin-starred chef who created a specially curated menu using Hamadaya sauces.

He even used the soy sauce for dessert!

The menu included "Yaki Tomorokoshi i.e. Grilled White Corn with Konbu Butter", his award-winning creation "Nagano Walnut Soba", "Ingen Mame with Chorize i.e. Fried French Bean with Spanish Cured Beef" and "Wa Parfait i.e. Hoihicha Pudding With Mitarashi Dango".

In all the recipes, he used Hamadaya Japanese Soy Sauce, Hamadaya Japanese Reduced Salt Soy Sauce, and/or Oyster Essence Sauce.

While the Soy Sauces were quite delicious when paired with the recipes, what caught our attention most was the Oyster Essence Sauce.

Unlike the usual Oyster sauce that we Malaysians are used to (you know, the thick, sweet ones), the one produced by Hamadaya is light and not really sweet.

It adds a subtle but delicious flavour to the food.

Reasonably priced

Considering how atas the launch was and that a Michelin-star chef endorsed it, you'd think that the sauces would be expensive, but it really isn't.

The prices for the sauces start from RM8.90, which we think is quite reasonable.

You can buy the products at AEON, AEON Big, AEON MaxValue Prime, Village Grocer and Jaya Grocer, as well as on Lazada and Shopee.