The bowl of soy sauce at family meals: stories from the past

The relentless passage of time changes everything, those who were once small children playing in the streets of the villages become grandparents all too soon. Even as so many things become different, the love and warmth of a homecooked meal remains steadfast. The scents and the flavors are packed with love, just like the memories.

Childhood memories of bygone times with the “Black Cat” on the table

“Head to the grocery store and grab a bottle of Black Cat soy sauce” was a familiar refrain for every child - as the afternoon arrived, mom would call from the kitchen to send her children to the store. Games went regrettably unfinished as they dashed to the closest neighborhood grocery store. Before they even got home, they’d sneak a sniff and a taste of the sweet, black soy sauce they had been sent to buy. Dashing home in time for dinner, the bottle would be handed over to take its rightful place on the family dinner table.

Such a familiar scene - a child picking up the necessities for her mother from the local store

Once known as “Black Cat” soy sauce, Nam Duong is the vivid memory of dinner time for so many of the old folk from the 1950s. Those days were sometimes a struggle, but no matter how little food they may have had, all that was needed to add love and taste the bowl of white rice was a dash of Nam Duong soy sauce.

Those very same children who grew up with Nam Duong on their dinner table are now parents and grandparents themselves, even with all their changes their favorite soy sauce stays the same. Old habits are hard to break, every meal is still accompanied by the aroma of Nam Duong soy sauce, added to each dish. The memories of Nam Duong are so cherished, that each time the smell passes their noses that call from mother rings through their ears, each mouthful of rice with soy sauce brings back the memories of mom’s best dishes.

Today’s youth are captivated by the classic taste

From glass bottles to plastic bottles, developing more convenient and modern designs, the visible changes have accompanied the aging process of Nam Duong, but the delightful flavor and the “Black Cat” symbol have never once waivered. As the consumers have grown up, so has Nam Duong even though the same great taste has stayed the same.

The link with Nam Duong soy sauce and family is still as strong as ever

Such a range of choices are available for soy sauce nowadays, but to make sure the grandparents are still happy everyone still reaches for the Nam Duong soy sauce. It’s so entwined with the stories of their elders that it’s impossible to not feel the connection to the past.

The children of today are being raised on stories of meals with “Black Cat” soy sauce, the older generation have already formed that special bond with their favorite soy sauce. So much nostalgia is attached so such a simple yet tasty sauce, it is able to unite generations.

Taste is of course important in soy sauce, and when you can team that with the memories of family meals full of love and joy at the same time, there is indeed a winning combination.

(Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper)