Tương Đen Ngọc Hòa is a traditional dark sauce made from fermented soybeans in Pleiku, Gia Lai Province. The product was developed by Nguyễn Hữu Cường as a sauce specifically suited to the local way of serving phở khô Gia Lai. Its main ingredients are soybeans, coarse salt, and sugarcane molasses. The soybeans are first steamed, then spread in thin layers and left indoors for seven to ten days to ferment. After this initial fermentation, the beans are transferred to large containers where they continue to mature with a coarse salt solution. Longer maturation contributes to a more pronounced aroma in the finished sauce. In the final stage, the sauce is cooked, while molasses contributes to its dark color, thick consistency, and characteristic sweet and savory taste. The finished product has a dense texture and a pronounced fermented soybean character that distinguishes it from the sweeter versions of tương đen commonly found in Ho Chi Minh City.
Producer
Ngọc Hòa is a Vietnamese producer of traditional dark soybean sauce based in Pleiku, Gia Lai Province. The production workshop is operated by Nguyễn Hữu Cường, who learned soybean fermentation techniques from producers in Ho Chi Minh City and other parts of southern Vietnam. After returning to Gia Lai, he established his own workshop in 2004 and developed a dark sauce specifically suited to the local culinary tradition of phở khô Gia Lai. Soybeans are the main raw material and are first steamed before being spread in shallow trays and fermented for seven to ten days. The fermented soybeans are then transferred to larger containers where they continue to mature with coarse salt. Molasses is added during the final stage, contributing to the sauce’s dark color, thick consistency, and characteristic sweet and savory flavor. The production process combines traditional fermentation with equipment developed by the producer to provide more consistent heating and automatic stirring. Ngọc Hòa produces several hundred kilograms of dark sauce per day, with production increasing during periods of higher demand. The sauce is distributed through markets, restaurants, and establishments serving phở khô in Gia Lai and neighboring provinces.