A legacy born under the Taiwanese sun
In 1944, a small food company called San Ying Foods opened its doors in Chiayi, Taiwan. More than eighty years later, that same family-owned company, now in its third generation, produces one of the most respected lines of traditional soy sauce in Asia: O'Long (黑龍), which translates to "Black Dragon."
What makes O'Long extraordinary isn't just its age, but its commitment to a slow, old-world process. Where many modern producers rely on chemical hydrolysis and shortcuts that can turn out a bottle in days, O'Long insists on traditional brewing that spans 120 days of natural sun exposure and fermentation in earthenware jars. Taiwan's subtropical climate provides the intense sunlight and warm temperatures that give the black bean soy sauce its signature depth, natural sweetness and complex umami.
Equally important is what O'Long leaves out. The sauces are made without preservatives, MSG, saccharin or artificial pigments, and the facility holds HACCP, ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 certifications.
The O'Long product family: which bottle does what?
The lineup is built around one core ingredient, naturally fermented black soybeans, but each bottle is tuned for a specific purpose. Here's your quick guide.
Black Bean Soy Sauce, regular and thick
This is the heart of the range. The Regular (清, clear) version is the lighter, more fluid expression: clean, naturally sweet and deeply savoury without heaviness. The Thick (膏, paste-like) version is the same sauce reduced to a concentrated, syrupy body that clings to food far more effectively.
If you want to trade up, the Premium Black Bean Soy Sauce (春蘭) in regular and thick is a richer grade of the same idea, and the 2-Year Aged Organic Black Soybean Soy Sauce (壺底油) is the connoisseur's bottle.
Best for: braising and red-cooking (lu rou fan, three-cup chicken), stir-frying noodles and vegetables, marinating meats, and dipping.
Black Soybean Marinade Sauce (紅燒滷肉醬)
This is O'Long's "master sauce in a bottle," a ready-to-use blend of fermented black soybeans (douchi), aromatics and balanced seasonings that captures the soul of traditional Chinese braising without hours of prep.
Best for: a 30-minute marinade for chicken wings or pork ribs, one-pot braised pork belly, instant stir-fry boosts, and as a finishing glaze for barbecue.
Seasoned Soy Sauce for Seafood (蒸魚蔭汁)
Regular soy sauce poured straight onto steamed fish creates harsh, salty patches. O'Long formulated this dedicated finishing sauce with dialled-back salt, dialled-up sweetness and a slightly thickened body that coats fish evenly rather than pooling on the plate.
Best for: steamed whole fish (sea bass, tilapia, grouper), steamed prawns and scallops, cold silken tofu, and blanched vegetables.
Gourmet Dipping Soy Sauce (日式和風純釀醬油)
This Japanese-style pure-brewed soy sauce is mellow, clean and aromatic, designed for dipping and finishing rather than cooking. Where the black bean sauces are bold and savoury, this one lets delicate ingredients speak for themselves.
Best for: sushi and sashimi, dumplings and dim sum, blanched spinach or kai lan, cold noodles, and chilled tofu with grated ginger.
Beyond the soy sauce
Two more O'Long staples worth keeping close: Pickled Black Bean (豆豉), the fermented bean that underpins so much Cantonese and Taiwanese cooking, and Spicy Bean Paste (辣豆瓣醬) for when a dish needs heat with depth behind it.
Giving a gift? The gift box in regular and thick presents beautifully for anyone who cooks.
Three simple recipes to get you started
1. Classic black soybean braised pork belly (lu rou fan)
The dish that made O'Long famous in Taiwanese home kitchens.
Ingredients:
- 500g pork belly, cut into small strips
- 3 tbsp O'Long Black Bean Soy Sauce (regular or thick)
- 1 tbsp O'Long Black Soybean Marinade Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small piece ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 1 tsp sugar
- 300ml water
- Steamed rice, to serve
Method:
- Brown the pork belly in a dry pan over medium heat until it releases its fat and turns golden.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in both O'Long sauces, the rice wine and sugar. Stir to coat the meat evenly.
- Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce to low. Simmer covered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the pork is tender and the sauce has reduced to a glossy, sticky glaze.
- Spoon generously over steamed rice.
2. Steamed fish with ginger and scallion, the O'Long way
The recipe the Seasoned Soy Sauce for Seafood was made for.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole sea bass or tilapia (about 500g), cleaned
- 3 tbsp O'Long Seasoned Soy Sauce for Seafood
- Fresh ginger, cut into thin slivers
- 2 scallions, cut into strips
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or grapeseed)
Method:
- Steam the fish over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until just cooked through. Drain any water that has collected on the plate.
- Lay the ginger slivers and scallion strips over the fish.
- Pour the seasoned soy sauce generously over the top.
- Heat the oil in a small pan until it just begins to smoke, then carefully drizzle it over the ginger and scallion. The sizzle blooms the aromatics and finishes the dish.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice.
3. O'Long dumpling dipping sauce, two ways
The classic Taiwanese dip:
- 2 tbsp O'Long Black Bean Soy Sauce (regular)
- 1 tbsp black vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Minced garlic and fresh chilli to taste
Stir everything together, adjusting the vinegar depending on how sharp you like it.
The Japanese-style dip:
- 3 tbsp O'Long Gourmet Dipping Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- A few drops of chilli oil (optional)
Mellow and clean, this one suits delicate steamed dumplings where you don't want to overwhelm the filling.
How to combine O'Long sauces for the best taste
These sauces are designed to work together. Here are the pairing principles Taiwanese cooks use.
Rule 1: black bean for the wok, Japanese-style for the table
The single most important rule in the O'Long playbook. The black bean sauces (regular, thick, marinade) have a bold, deeply savoury, almost earthy umami that stands up to high heat and long cooking. The Gourmet Dipping Soy Sauce is mellow and aromatic, meant to be used raw at the table.
Rule 2: layer regular and thick for braises
Start with the regular black bean soy sauce to build the base flavour during cooking. In the last 5 to 10 minutes, add a spoonful of the thick version. Its concentrated, syrupy body creates a beautiful glaze without thinning the braising liquid.
Rule 3: seafood sauce is a finishing sauce, not a cooking sauce
Never cook with the Seasoned Soy Sauce for Seafood. Its delicate sweetness and thickened body are calibrated for pouring over already-cooked fish, cold tofu or blanched vegetables. A hot wok will mute its character and waste the point of it.
Rule 4: trade up for finishing, keep it simple for cooking
Use the standard Qiuju black bean sauce for everyday braising and stir-frying, and save the 2-year aged organic or premium Chunlan bottles for dipping and finishing, where the extra complexity actually registers on the palate.
Why O'Long belongs in your kitchen
In a world of mass-produced condiments, O'Long stands apart because it refuses to rush. The 120-day sun-brewing, the three generations of family ownership, and the commitment to no preservatives or artificial additives are the reasons a bottle of O'Long tastes fundamentally different from anything made in a factory.
Whether you're braising pork belly for a weekend feast, steaming fresh fish for a quick weeknight dinner, or mixing a dipping sauce for dumplings, O'Long delivers authentic Taiwanese flavour without compromise.
Explore the full O'Long range at MyAsianStore and find the bottle your cooking has been missing.