U+9171 "酱" CJK Unified Ideograph-# Unicode Character

U+9171 "酱" CJK Unified Ideograph-# is a logogram representing a fermented paste or sauce, a cornerstone of East Asian cuisine, specifically referring to soy sauce, bean paste, or similar condiments derived from soybeans or grains. It commonly appears in words like "酱油" (soy sauce) and "豆瓣酱" (broad bean paste) and carries cultural significance in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean culinary traditions, where it denotes a savory, umami-rich ingredient used in marinades, stir-fries, and dipping sauces. The character is composed of the radical for "unitary" or "one" and a component meaning "southwest corner of a boat," though its modern written form has evolved to represent the thick, fermented product.