Kanzuri

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Kanzuri
Kanzuri.jpg
A jar of kanzuri on display at a Marukai Market in West Covina
TypePaste
Place of origin Japan
Region or state Niigata Prefecture
Associated cuisine Japanese

Kanzuri (かん, [kaɰ̃zɯɾi] KAHN-zoo-ri) is a type of Japanese fermented chili paste manufactured in Niigata Prefecture. Originally a traditional condiment from the Jōetsu region, the name "kanzuri" was trademarked in 1966 by the Kanzuri, Co. Ltd. of Myōkō, the sole maker of the product.

Contents

Description

Kanzuri is a chili paste with a bright red color. [1] Its texture and flavor are similar to that of yuzu koshō, which is prepared with the identical principal ingredients, but kanzuri has a milder flavor that is sweeter and less salty. [2] The flavor of kanzuri is also comparable to that of Tabasco sauce or doubanjiang. [3]

Production

The process to make kanzuri typically takes approximately three to four years. The ingredients used are tōgarashi, yuzu, salt, and kōji mold. [4]

Production begins in April of the first year with the planting of the tōgarashi used for kanzuri. [4] [5] The particular cultivar used for the making of kanzuri is known as S-30; it is locally grown and about three times larger than other tōgarashi. [6] These S-30 tōgarashi are harvested in the summer. The crop is rinsed with sea water, ground with yuzu and kōji mold, then left to ferment in barrels. In June or July, prior to the onset of peak summer heat, the barrels of fermenting tōgarashi are exposed to the air. This takes place from August until November. [5] During the coldest part of the year, typically around 20 January, the tōgarashi are then laid out on snow to dry for several days in a traditional process known as kanzarashi  [ ja ] or yukisarashi (Japanese : 雪さらし). [3] [7] This is repeated several times until March. Exposure to the snow increases the potency of the tōgarashi's flavor [1] and removes excess salt and bitterness. [5] This process is repeated each year, after which the kanzuri is bottled and shipped to market. [5]

Different varieties of kanzuri may take longer to ferment, with one variety taking as long as six years. [4]

Kanzuri was trademarked by Kanzuri, Co. Ltd. of Myōkō, Niigata in 1966, who later also trademarked the name in China, South Korea, and the United States. [5] They are the exclusive makers of kanzuri. [5]

Uses

Traditionally, people from the Jōetsu region, which is known in Japan for its heavy snowfall, used kanzuri as a condiment that was thought to help warm up body temperature. [1]

Today, kanzuri is used in a wide variety of dishes, including ramen, miso soup, yakiniku, nabemono, nattō, and pasta. [1] [2] It can also be dissolved into wasabi or tare, as well as be eaten as a complement to tsukemono. [6] It is also used as a seasoning in snacks including kaki no tane, [8] senbei, [9] Kappa Ebisen, [10] instant yakisoba, ramen, [11] and chorizo. [12]

According to Tōjō Kuniaki, the current president of Kanzuri, Co. Ltd., restaurateurs and chefs in Japan often use kanzuri as a "great supporting actor" and "secret ingredient" in their dishes. They have reported to him that kanzuri helps to mitigate the oiliness of a dish or to brighten its flavor. [6]

History

Folk tradition in the Joetsu region ascribes Uesugi Kenshin (pictured) with the local introduction of the togarashi used for kanzuri. Uesugi Kenshin Portrait from Uesugi Shrine.png
Folk tradition in the Jōetsu region ascribes Uesugi Kenshin (pictured) with the local introduction of the tōgarashi used for kanzuri.

Local legend in Jōetsu ascribes the origin of kanzuri to Uesugi Kenshin, who is said to have introduced tōgarashi to the region from Kyoto. Kanzuri was originally made by grinding tōgarashi together with miso paste. [1]

The modern manufacturing of kanzuri began after the Pacific War. At the time, traditional food culture was rapidly disappearing in Japan, which during its postwar economic surge became Westernized. Tōjō Kuniji, the founder of what later became the official maker of kanzuri, deplored the situation, and told his son that he had to protect the heritage of kanzuri. [6] He began to research methods of making kanzuri and sought to replicate homemade kanzuri for the domestic market. After graduating high school, his son Kuniaki joined him in his efforts. [6]

A breakthrough came when Kuniaki was sent to the United States as part of an agricultural study-abroad program for his university. As he and his fellow students dined on steak on one occasion, he procured a jar of kanzuri that he had brought with him from home. He invited others to try it and their positive reaction strengthened his resolve to popularize kanzuri. When he returned, he co-founded Kanzuri, Co. Ltd. in Myōkō with his father and trademarked the name "kanzuri". [6]

Local elderly women were recruited to help with the manufacturing of kanzuri and produce the right flavor. [3] At first, he sold his kanzuri door-to-door to neighbors. [6] Although his efforts were derided at the time, kanzuri became popular and the company a success. It currently makes approximately 20 tons of kanzuri per year. [3] [6]

Both kanzuri and the process of yukisarashi have become popular tourist attractions in Myōkō. [3] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sake</span> Alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin

Sake, saké, or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name Japanese rice wine, sake, and indeed any East Asian rice wine, is produced by a brewing process more akin to that of beer, where starch is converted into sugars that ferment into alcohol, whereas in wine, alcohol is produced by fermenting sugar that is naturally present in fruit, typically grapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myōkō, Niigata</span> City in Chūbu, Japan

Myōkō is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 November 2020, the city had an estimated population of 31,374 in 12,408 households, and a population density of 70 people per km². The total area of the city was 445.63 square kilometres (172.06 sq mi). Myōkō is a member of the World Health Organization’s Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jōetsu Shinkansen</span> High-speed railway line in Japan

The Jōetsu Shinkansen (上越新幹線) is a high-speed shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company. Despite its name, the line does not pass through the city of Jōetsu or the historical Jōetsu region, which instead are served by the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The name instead originates from the parallel Jōetsu Line, which in turn is named after the two provinces that it connects: Jōshū, and Echigo Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese pitch accent</span> Japanese language feature

Japanese pitch accent is a feature of the Japanese language that distinguishes words by accenting particular morae in most Japanese dialects. The nature and location of the accent for a given word may vary between dialects. For instance, the word for "river" is in the Tokyo dialect, with the accent on the second mora, but in the Kansai dialect it is. A final or is often devoiced to or after a downstep and an unvoiced consonant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajinomoto</span> Japanese food and biotechnology company

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. is a Japanese multinational food and biotechnology corporation which produces seasonings, interlayer insulating materials for semiconductor packages for use in personal computers, cooking oils, frozen foods, beverages, sweeteners, amino acids, and pharmaceuticals. Aji-No-Moto is the trade name for the company's original monosodium glutamate (MSG) product, the first of its kind, since 1909. The corporation's head office is located in Chūō, Tokyo. As of 2023, Ajinomoto operates in 34 countries worldwide and employs an estimated 34,615 people. Its yearly revenue in 2023 is around ¥1.44 trillion JPY or $9.1 billion USD.

<i>Shichimi</i> Japanese spice mix

Shichi-mi tōgarashi, also known as nana-iro tōgarashi or simply shichimi, is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. Tōgarashi is the Japanese name for Capsicum annuum peppers, and it is this ingredient that makes shichimi spicy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niigata (city)</span> Designated city in Chūbu, Japan

Niigata is a city located in the northern part of Niigata Prefecture. It is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, and one of the cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, located in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the most populous city on the west coast of Honshu, and the second populous city in Chūbu region after Nagoya. It faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island. As of 1 September 2022, the city had an estimated population of 779,049, and a population density of 1,072 persons per km2. The total area is 726.45 square kilometres (280.48 sq mi). Greater Niigata, the Niigata Metropolitan Employment Area, has a GDP of US$43.3 billion as of 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E127 series</span> Japanese DC electric multiple unit train type

The E127 series (E127系) is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated on local services by East Japan Railway Company in Japan since 1995, and also by the third-sector railway operator Echigo Tokimeki Railway since March 2015 as the ET127 series. The design is derived from the 209 series commuter EMU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Thunder (chocolate bar)</span> Japanese chocolate bar

Black Thunder is a chocolate bar made and sold in Japan by the Yuraku Confectionery Company. It contains a cocoa-flavored cookie bar mixed with Japanese-style rice puffs, coated with chocolate. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is ¥30, before tax. The main advertising slogan translates to "Delicious taste in a flash of lightning!" The story of the Yuraku Confectionery Company and its Black Thunder bar has been treated in the Japanese business press as something of a modern-day rags to riches story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzu Hirose</span> Japanese actress (born 1998)

Suzu Hirose is a Japanese actress and model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGT48</span> Japanese idol group

NGT48 is a Japanese girl group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. NGT48 is named after Niigata City of Niigata Prefecture, where the group is based. The group performs at the NGT48 Theater which is located in the fourth floor of the LoveLa2 shopping mall in Niigata City.

<i>Kōrēgusu</i> Okinawan chili sauce

Kōrēgusu, also called kōrēgūsu (コーレーグース) and kōrēgusū (コーレーグスー), is a type of Okinawan chili sauce made of chilis infused in awamori rice spirit and is a popular condiment to Okinawan dishes such as Okinawa soba.

<i>Miss Caretaker of Sunohara-sou</i> Four-panel romantic comedy manga series and its adaptations

Miss Caretaker of Sunohara-sou is a Japanese romantic comedy four-panel manga series by Nekoume. It has been serialized in Ichijinsha's seinen magazine Manga 4-Koma Palette from 2014 until 2022, after which it was moved to Monthly Comic Rex before concluding the same year. There have been seven collected tankōbon volumes released as of October 2021. An audio drama based on the manga was released in 2016, and an anime television series adaptation by Silver Link aired in 2018. An English dub of the anime has been produced by Funimation.

Kolme (コールミー), formerly known as Callme, is a Japanese idol girl group consisting of former Dorothy Little Happy members. They released their debut single, "To shine", in March 2015.

<i>Sundome!! Milky Way</i> Japanese manga series

Sundome!! Milky Way is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuki Funatsu. It was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Grand Jump from June 2016 to November 2019, with its chapters collected in nine tankōbon volumes. An alternate ending, titled Sundome!! Milky Way Another End was serialized in the same magazine from February to December 2020. In North America, the series is licensed for English release by Seven Seas Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagarico</span> Japanese snack product

Jagarico is a family of salty snack products made primarily from processed fried potatoes. Introduced in 1995 by Calbee, Jagarico could be described as rod-shaped potato chips. According to Barabara Zec, they "have a similar appearance to French fries."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irasutoya</span> Website of free illustrations by Takashi Mifune

Irasutoya is a website operated by illustrator Takashi Mifune that offers gratis clip art illustrations. These works can be used for both commercial and non-commercial applications, but copyright is not waived, there are moral rights-related restrictions on how they should be used, and restrictions to use amount per commercial project.

<i>Zange Meshi</i> Japanese manga series

Zange Meshi is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hatsumi Kodama. It was first irregularly published in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Morning from May 2020 to July 2021, and was published on the online platform Comic Days from August 2020 to December 2022; its chapters were collected in seven tankōbon volumes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramune candy</span> Japanese confectionery

Ramune candy is a kind of Japanese tablet candy. It is generally made from sugar, mixed with a small amount of a binder and other ingredients, and compressed in a tableting machine.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "かんずり". うちの郷土料理 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Special Condiment from Niigata: Kanzuri". Toiro Kitchen & Supply. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Visit the ingredients (4) Kanzuri, fermented red chili, spread on the snow". Village to Table Stories. February 2016. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "新潟の調味料「かんずり」を楽しもう。一緒に味わいたい日本酒も紹介". Kubotaya (in Japanese). 24 November 2020. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nakagawa, Y. (28 May 2020). "新潟生まれの「かんずり」とは?一家にひとつの万能調味料!". macaroni (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Shimada, Hiromi (20 January 2016). "世界でも珍しい唐辛子の発酵食品「かんずり」。料理を選ばず使える万能調味料の里へ!". ぐるたび (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  7. "雪国の風物詩 「かんずり」トウガラシの雪さらし(新潟県妙高市)". Yukiguni Journey (in Japanese). 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  8. "かんずりコラボ商品「亀田の柿の種 新潟名産かんずり味」全国発売スタート!". Joetsu Myoko Town Joho (in Japanese). 16 July 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  9. "「かんずり」使った米菓 三幸製菓と亀田製菓から全国発売". 上越タウンジャーナル (in Japanese). 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  10. "新潟の味『かっぱえびせん かんずり味』7月13日(月)発売 柚子の香りが引き立てる辛味と旨みが「やめられない、とまらない♪」". PRTimes (in Japanese). 13 July 2020. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  11. "「明星 チャルメラ 新潟かんずり ゆず香る旨辛まぜそば」「明星 チャルメラどんぶり 新潟かんずり 旨辛みそラーメン」(11月4日発売)". 明星食品 (in Japanese). 17 September 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  12. "【うちごはん】新潟の「かんずり」が隠し味!あらびきジューシーで豊かな辛味が美味しい米久「チョリソー」". ぴんちょすの沼津ライフ (in Japanese). 23 June 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.