Brewery in Chita Peninsula
The most famous ”miso” of Aichi is the ”Hatcho miso” of Okazaki. However, Okazaki is not the only place in Aichi red ”miso” is produced. Here in Chita Peninsula, there are many breweries that produce delicious red ”miso”. ”Ito Shoten” is located in Taketoyo town of Chita ward, where about 50 ”miso” breweries used to be in operation. The remnants of the can be seen in ”Miso Brewery Lane”. It is a path designated to track the landscape of the old brewery town. The path map can be downloaded from the Taketoyo-cho website （http://www.town.taketoyo.lg.jp/yousiki/download_index.htm）. Buildings made of bricks with black fences line the area surrounding the old breweries, giving it a quaint atmosphere fit for a nice a walk. The entire route is about 30 minutes, ideal for a stroll while enjoying the scenery.
Making exquisite ”tamari”
”Ito Shoten” is situated in one corner of this town, a well-established brewery with a history of 200 years since its foundation. Their main products, ”Den-emon miso” and ”Den-emon tamari” are named after their founder. They stick to the traditional process, and allow ”miso” and ”tamari” to mature for three years in cedar casks. In addition, ”tamari” is made by squeezing the fermented soybeans, just as in making ”soybean miso”, so only a small quantity can be made even after 3 years of fermentation. It is concentrated down to one fourth of the ”soybean miso” during the squeezing process.
Because of the long maturation period, ”Den-emon Tamari” has a very mellow, yet rich taste. The difference between ”tamari” and soy sauce is that ”tamari” is sweeter and has a glaze, and it is often used as soy sauce for ”sashimi”. However, it is also suitable for ”nimono” dishes, seasoned rice and teriyaki, as ”tamari” will bring out the flavor of each ingredient. It is a great product to add to your everyday home cooking.
