How We Got Started

Donny Cruz first bottled this unique Soy Sauce recipe back in 2003, however, Pacific Island Soy Sauce “started” nearly 200 years ago from the descendants of Donny’s Father as a family recipe from the “Islands.”

Teodoro Cruz was born on the island of Guam in 1934, there, in the South Pacific, his family lived off the land and assembled the special ingredients for a flavorful blend of soy sauce. This “Cruz marinade” was unique to Guam and something the States had never tasted before, most Americans had only experienced using traditional salty Asian soy products for cooking. This was about to change. The call of the United States Air Force brought Teodoro, his wife Rowena, and the entire clan to Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri.

Teodoro also brought along his immense passion for home-cooking from Guam and his secret blend of soy sauce. During special family and neighborhood gatherings, Teodoro would whip up a batch of his perfected sauce for marinating steaks, fish, chicken, pork and just about everything else. Popularity of the zesty blend grew so much the family could not keep up with the demand for this mouthwatering delight.

When Teodoro’s youngest son Donny was 12 years old, he told his mother he wanted to share and “bottle” his family’s tradition for the entire U.S. to enjoy. This would soon become Donny’s dream and the creation of America’s “first” soy sauce was created right here in the Midwest! Now, years later, Donny Cruz has persevered, endured, and made his dream come true as he has now perfected the taste of Guam with Pacific Island Soy Sauce…Enjoy!

Enjoy you Pacific Island Soy Sauce MY FRIENDS!