Molecular Microbiology Research, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 45-58 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mmr 45 Research Report Open Access From Northern Song Heritage to Modern Innovation: A Study on the Technological Evolution and Quality Control of Yuyue's Traditional Sauce-Making Craft Xudong Chen, Zeqin Chen, Yelin Huang, Jinghong Wang, Lei Yong Lishui Yuyue Brewing Food Co., Ltd, Lishui, 323006, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author: 465362494@qq.com Molecular Microbiology Research, 2025, Vol.15, No.2 doi: 10.5376/mmr.2025.15.0006 Received: 10 Jan., 2025 Accepted: 22 Feb., 2025 Published: 10 Mar., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Chen et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Chen X.D., Chen Z.Q., Huang Y.L., Wang J.H., and Yong L., 2025, From Northern Song heritage to modern innovation: a study on the technological evolution and quality control of Yuyue's traditional sauce-making craft, Molecular Microbiology Research, 15(2): 45-58 (doi: 10.5376/mmr.2025.15.0006). Abstract The soy sauce brewing technique passed down from the Northern Song Dynasty was reborn in the context of modern food industry. This study takes the traditional soy sauce making technology of the century-old brand "Yuyue" in Lishui, Zhejiang, as the object, and studies its process evolution and quality control methods. Tracing the origin of Yuyue soy sauce technology, it explains the process from the inheritance of natural brewing methods in the Northern Song Dynasty and Qinguan period to the establishment of soy sauce gardens in the Republic of China and the reform of modern enterprises. Through the analysis of the microbial fermentation system, the trend of soy sauce fermentation gradually transitioning from natural inoculation to breeding bacterial species is revealed, and the mechanism of action of major functional microorganisms (Aspergillus, lactic acid bacteria, yeast, etc.) in the formation of flavor substances is clarified. This study will further explore the effect of process optimization based on microbial regulation, such as bacterial strain improvement, mixed fermentation and intelligent control on improving the flavor of soy sauce and shortening the fermentation cycle, and then build a quality evaluation system, including chemical index determination, sensory assessment and standardization processes, and analyze food safety control strategies to prevent and control risks such as bioamines. Research shows that the integration of traditional brewing and modern technology can improve the consistency of production efficiency and quality while ensuring the unique flavor and safety of soy sauce. In order to ensure the experience of the fish-leap sauce making process in inheritance and innovation, it can provide a reference for the modernization of traditional fermented foods. Keywords Soy sauce fermentation; Microorganisms; Flavor formation; Quality control; Food safety; Intelligent brewing 1 Introduction As a fermented condiment with a long history, soy sauce has a production tradition in China for more than two thousand years. The "fish leap" soy sauce brewing technique in Lishui, Zhejiang is said to be derived from the legacy of the Northern Song Dynasty, reflecting the continuation and development of ancient sauce making. The Yuyue brand was founded in 1919. Its predecessor was Desheng Sauce Garden, which is a famous century-old brand in the local area. After several generations of inheritance, the Yuyue soy sauce brewing technique was included in the Lishui City Intangible Cultural Heritage List in the 2000s, becoming a representative of traditional brewing with regional characteristics. Yuyue Soy Sauce insists on natural fermentation of soybeans, wheat, salt and other raw materials, and follows traditional methods such as steaming beans in wooden barrels and fermenting in open air for more than 180 days. The products are known for their rich sauce flavor and mellow aftertaste. Traditional small workshop brewing also faces challenges such as long fermentation cycle, unstable quality and difficulty in sanitation control. Under the conditions of the contemporary food industry, how to combine ancient sauce-making experience with modern technology to achieve process optimization and quality standardization has become a research hotspot. In recent years, advances in microbiology and fermentation engineering have allowed us to deeply analyze the mechanism of action of microbial communities during soy sauce fermentation (Yang et al., 2017). By selecting and breeding high-performance bacterial strains, applying intelligent control of
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