Since its establishment in 2015, Wangshin has exclusively used solar salt produced from Mahatap in Imjado, Sinan, Jeollanam-do. We ferment anchovy fish sauce using salt that has been desalinated for over three years. The salt we currently have is from 2019, so the anchovy fish sauce we will ferment in 2024 will use salt that has been desalinated for 5 years.
If this salt is fermented in a traditional jar for more than 2 years, the anchovy fish sauce made with the 2019 salt can be presented to consumers as early as 2027. Concerns about salt since our founding 8 years ago led us to consult with Park Sang-hyun, a renowned taste columnist and author of "The Taste of Japan, Eating Kyushu," to select Mahatap solar salt. Since then, the salt-producing areas around Sinan County have been registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.
The price of the solar salt used by Wangshin has risen from 14,000 won per 20kg bag last year to 27,000 won this year. Despite the significant price increase, we insist on not using refined salt, which is cheap and commonly used by large corporations, or Chinese solar salt.
Ultimately, 90% of the taste of food is determined by its ingredients. The main ingredients of Wangshin anchovy fish sauce are anchovies caught in the clean waters of the South Sea, Hallyeohaesang National Park, and solar salt produced in Mahatap, Imjado, Sinan County, Jeollanam-do. The remaining 10% comes from the traditional jars, the sunlight of Gyeongju, the scent of pine trees and the wind, and the dedication of Wangshin.
