Traditional Miwa Somen

Miwa, Nara Prefecture is one of Japan’s leading production centers of somen noodles. Miwa Yamakatsu Seimen Co., Ltd. is located in such a traditional area. The history of somen in Nara Prefecture is long, dating back to about 1,200 years ago. It is said to have originated when people began to make preserved food from flour made from harvested wheat and sacred water from Mt. On the other hand, the origin of “Miwa Yamakatsu Seimen” is said to date back to 1804, when the first generation took up somen noodle making as a side job during the off-season for farmers. From that time to the present day, the sixth generation, Katsuyama Yamashita, has continued to pursue delicious noodles and continues to produce the somen noodles that are still loved today.

How to Select Delicious Somen

So, what should we look for when selecting Somen noodles?

The first point is whether the production method is hand-rolled or machine-made. The machine method involves stretching the dough into a thin sheet and then cutting it into small pieces. On the other hand, hand-pulled somen noodles are made by craftsmen, so many of them have a strong texture. If you are looking for firmness and a smooth texture, you should choose the hand-pulled type.

Next, if you are health-conscious, you may want to choose based on salt, additives, and oil content. In fact, salt and oil are often used in the production process of somen. Because of this, if you end up eating too much without being aware of it, you may end up consuming too much salt. If you want to be deliciously health-conscious, you must also check the salt, oil, and additives.

Miwa Yamakatsu Noodle’s Commitment

Miwa Yamakatsu Seimen produces ” yori ” somen, which is similar to barley rope, the original form of somen. The process begins by layering more than 150 layers of flat noodles to form a round bar. Then, the noodles are twisted like a rope to make them firm. Here at Miwa Yamakatsu Seimen, the process is said to be 15 times more labor intensive than usual. In addition, oil is generally used to prevent the noodles from sticking together when making somen, but Miwa Yamakatsu Seimen does not use any oil at all to preserve the flavor of the flour. This is how the umami and sweetness of the noodles are brought out even more. The taste of these noodles is recognized throughout Japan, and they were served to the heads of state at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in 2008.

Why not try this traditional hand-pulled, oil-free, delicious somen noodles? It would also be a great gift for the mid-year holiday or as a gift.

The combination of the passion for delicious noodles and the craftsmanship that makes it possible will overturn the image of somen noodles you have had until now.

The post Mr. Katsuyama Yamashita, who preserves the traditional hand-pulled method in Nara, a famous production area of somen noodles/ Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Iburi gakko” was born out of nostalgia for iburi pickles.

Yuzawa City is surrounded on all sides by mountains and is known for its heavy snowfall.Winter comes early and lasts long.It is said that this has given birth to a unique culture of making pickles.The raw material for Iburi Gako is white-necked local daikon radish harvested in the fall.It is not suitable for raw consumption because it is long, pure white, tight, and spicy with little water content, but it is the best material for iburigakko.The Yuzawa area in the southern inland region of Akita Prefecture has an early snowfall and very few hours of sunlight due to its mountainous location.When trying to make takuan pickles, a common winter preservation food, it was necessary to hang the daikon radishes from beams inside the house to dry them, as drying them in the sun was not enough to remove the water content.A sunken hearth was located below, and the fire and smoke took the place of the sun.The strong acid from the smoke sterilized the surface of the daikon and improved its preservation.The strong acid from the smoke sterilized the surface of the daikon and enhanced its preservation.Yoshinobu Kimura, the representative of Kimuraya in Ogatsuno, says with a smile, “Iburi pickles may be the product of such a coincidence.

Iburi pickles are said to have originated as far back as the Muromachi period (1333-1573).The method of pickling varied, and each household had its own taste, which was passed down from generation to generation.However, with the spread of wood-burning stoves in the Showa period (1926-1989), the hearths in many homes decreased and iburi-zuke disappeared.In 1963, Kimuraya established a pickles shop in Yuzawa, taking advantage of the climate and ingredients suitable for making pickles.At first, Kimuraya made pickles of wild vegetables and kasuzuke (pickles with sake lees), but then Kimuraya began to receive calls from people who longed for the tsukemono pickles that had disappeared.Kimuraya began the challenge of recreating and commercializing the family tradition of iburi-zuke.From there, he went through many days of trial and error in order to recreate the fire in the sunken hearth.He discovered that by burning carefully selected hardwoods and drying them over an open fire, he could create a sweet smoky aroma that reminded him of the nostalgic hearth fire, which is unique to Iburi pickles.The smoked daikon is then quickly dipped in rice bran, salt, and pomelo sugar.The Iburi pickles, which are a Kimuraya family tradition, are named “Iburi Gakko” because pickles are called “Gakko” in Akita, and have become a favorite of many people.

Western-style arrangement using “Iburi Goko

The use of coarse sugar for pickles is also a method unique to this area.Yuzawa City once had the “Innai Ginzan” (silver mine), which was said to be the largest silver mine in the East, and the area was prosperous in its own right, so it was easy to obtain sugar, which was a luxury item at that time.This situation helped the use of sugar in pickles, and it became a standard method of production in Akita.The same logic applies to both sugar and salt: osmotic pressure pushes water out of the daikon radish.The difference is whether the flavor is sweet or salty.Kimura says that the reason why people say that iburigakko is easier to eat than ordinary pickles is because the use of sugar gives it a mellower taste.
After pickling, the fish is matured for more than 60 days.When the lactic acid fermentation begins in the barrel, the sound of “kopopop, kopopop” begins to be heard.Finally, the Iburi Gako is ready.
Iburi gakko is now known throughout Japan as a representative flavor of Akita.Iburi gakko has its origins in the “simple taste.There are many delicious foods in the world.I would be happy if people could try something simple like iburigakko once in a while and feel nostalgia,” says Kimura.
Recently, many people have been trying various ways to eat iburigakko, such as with cheese, in risotto, and in ochazuke (rice with green tea).People who like Iburi gakko tell me, “It was delicious when I ate it this way,” he says.
Iburi gakko is a product of the unique environment of Akita’s inland region of heavy snowfall.This winter, too, it has been maturing in the cold snowy country, quietly waiting for its perfection.

The post Smoke and pickle “Iburi Guko” grown by heavy snowfall “Ogatsuno Kimuraya” / Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Located in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, a prosperous castle town, is Yamagataya Shoten, a small soy sauce and miso brewery that has been in business for about 150 years. Founded in 1863, the company has been in business under the name “Yamabun. The fifth-generation owner, Kazuo Watanabe, is the man behind this long-established business, which has been loved under the name “Yamabun. In the six years since he became the owner, he has won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Award, the highest award at the National Soy Sauce Competition, which has been held since 1973, four times. The name is spreading throughout the country.

Nationally Recognized Soy Sauce from the Fukushima Method

The wooden house has a time-honored charm. The storefront boasts an array of products, including shoyu, miso, koji (malted rice), amazake (sweet sake), and sagohachi (koji pickles). Hidetoshi Nakata turned his gaze toward the back of the store, following the aroma of the miso.
You also sell miso by weight,” Nakata said.
Kazuo Watanabe, the owner of the store, nodded smilingly and offered him a sample. We start with a taste of their signature product, Yamabun Honjozo Tokusen Soy Sauce. The deep, mellow umami and appetizingly savory flavor spreads in the mouth.

The process of making shoyu begins with the preparation of koji (malted rice) from soybeans and wheat. The malted rice is then used to brew the moromi, which is aged for six months and pressed to make kiage, or raw soy sauce, a labor-intensive and costly process.
In an effort to ease the burden on breweries, Fukushima Prefecture has decided to establish an integrated production system at its kiage factory. The Fukushima method of centralizing the production of namaage, pioneered in Japan, has spread to other parts of the country. Today, half of all shoyu sold on the market is made using this method.
There are various types of namaage, such as round soybeans and dark soybeans, and Fukushima Prefecture offers several types of namaage for each type. By combining them, it is possible to create a brewery’s own unique flavor.

Polished secret techniques enhance the flavor.

After the soy sauce is cooked, each brewery performs a fire-working process, which is said to be the most important step in bringing out the best of the shoyu. Mr. Watanabe takes us on a tour of the factory, explaining the ingenuity of each brewery.
The secret of adding “kaeshi” has been passed down from generation to generation at Yamagataya. The mirin (sweet sake) is boiled down, sugar and shoyu are added, and the mixture is left to simmer for 10 days before adding the kaeshi, which is added just before the temperature reaches 80°C. “Some of the brewers I know also use kaeshi,” says Watanabe. This is a unique technique that even the brewers I know have never heard of, but it adds depth of flavor and aroma to the finished product,” he says.
The process of heating the soy sauce over a period of time and then raising the temperature allows the higa, or aromatic flavor, to become more pronounced and to persist.
What kind of dishes does this shoyu go well with?
Mr. Watanabe thinks for a moment before answering, “Since it’s a shoyu from the sea, it goes well with fish,” he says. He recommends it for boiled fish such as flounder.
The color, shine, and taste are so good, and it doesn’t fall apart easily, that some professionals, including inns and Japanese restaurants, say they can’t use any other soy sauce,” he says.
In recent years, orders from all over Japan have been increasing due to the good results of the product at the competition. Mr. Watanabe’s smile is as happy as ever that the local people are so pleased with his product.
In the old days, every castle town had a brewery. In the old days, every castle town had its own brewery, and Soma used to be lined with many of them, but now it is the only one. I would like to pass on the castle town of Soma to the next generation through the taste of my hometown and its food culture of shoyu and miso.

The post Yamagataya Shoten, a soy sauce and miso warehouse that has been in business for about 150 years / Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.