Moromi began when chemist Bob Florence, who had trained in the art of shoyu making in Japan with the president of Chiba Shoyu, Kyosuke Iida, began experimenting at home with different flavors of shoyu. He shared his initial products with friend and chef James Wayman, who liked the test batches so much he helped found a business with Bob and his wife, Debbi Michiiko Florence. Bob relies on traditional fermentation techniques using koji and natural microbiome to transform a variety of local ingredients into unique sauces, seasonings, and condiments.
Bob grew up working on his grandfather’s small farm and farm stand, and put himself through school at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse while working as a produce manager at IGA. He has always had an interest in farmers and growing food. However, when he became a chemist he traced a commercial path in plastics (back when they were advanced technology) with companies like GE and Apple. This led to many years working and living across Asia in China, Japan, India, and Korea where he was happily exposed to the foods that would change his life.
Moromi are dedicated to developing unique and flavorful food ingredients that help home and professional cooks create distinctive meals for their families and guests.
