141 replies to this topic

[melonpan]

chrysanthemum

teachers pet.

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks, you two. I was just too lazy to look it up in the dictionary.

I forgot to upload a photo of uchimame.

[Hiroyuki]

6700 for 100% shiozawa koshihikari.  it was 7000 yen / 10 kg in march.  but that was last years rice and wasnt that price inflated bc of a poor crop?

I almost forgot to answer your question.

You are right.
Last year, the rice price went up by 20-30% higher than the previous year, because of a poor crop.

[Hiroyuki]

This is a typical dish with kakinomoto (edible kiku flowers)

Soy sause-based soup and bonito flakes on top
This is one of the dishes served at a Japanese restaurant here in Shiozawa.

Other dishes:

[torakris]

what is that black triangular thing with the fish in the second picture?

and why is the sekihan wrapped up?

[Hiroyuki]

I didn't eat that triangular one (didn't have the time to eat all the dishes). My wife told me it was a kind of youkan. The sekihan was wrapped so that we could take it home along with all the other foods we couldn't eat at the restaurant.

[Hiroyuki]

Kaki no Tane (lit. persimmon seeds)

Did you know that Kaki no Tane was first produced by Naniwaya in Niigata?
http://www.naniwayas...4-beika/04.html

[torakris]

Kaki no Tane (lit. persimmon seeds)

Did you know that Kaki no Tane was first produced by Naniwaya in Niigata?
http://www.naniwayas...4-beika/04.html

I had forgotten about kaki no tane, my friend who is from Niigata (Niigata City) always brings them back for us as an omiyage (souvenir).

[Hiroyuki]

I had forgotten about kaki no tane, my friend who is from Niigata (Niigata City) always brings them back for us as an omiyage (souvenir).

It's good to hear that you have a friend from Niigata! Ask her/him all about Niigata to explore this wonderful prefecture!
Niigata even has a sembei kingdom!
http://www.baka.ne.jp/shop/senbe.htm
(Japanese only)

[Hiroyuki]

Ougon Mamakari.
This is a product of Sankou http://www.kk-sanko..../new_page_1.htm.
(Japanese only)

Mamakari (lit. rice borrowing) are small sardine-like fish. They got their funny name because they are so tasty that you would go to a neighbor and ask for rice. They are also called sappa.

Here is a description of mamakari:
http://www.infocreat...k/dentoh-e.html
(Scroll down and see the last topic.)

Ougon (Golden) Mamakari is the name of a product of filleted mamakari vinegared with fish roe, carrots, gingers, and nanohana (green leaves).

I'll post a picture of Ougon Mamakari when I get a pack.

[torakris]

Ougon (Golden) Mamakari is the name of a product of filleted mamakari vinegared with fish roe, carrots, gingers, and nanohana (green leaves).

Oh, I love this stuff!
I never knew what it was called before....
I couldn't find a very good picture, but:
http://www.himajin.n...ges/c503/59.jpg

nanohana is broccoli rabe (rape) in English.
now I am getting hungry....

[Hiroyuki]

Ougon (Golden) Mamakari is the name of a product of filleted mamakari vinegared with fish roe, carrots, gingers, and nanohana (green leaves).

Oh, I love this stuff!
I never knew what it was called before....
I couldn't find a very good picture, but:
http://www.himajin.n...ges/c503/59.jpg

nanohana is broccoli rabe (rape) in English.
now I am getting hungry....

Thanks for the English lesson.
I wonder why I am not authorized to access the link you provided.

[torakris]

try this:
http://www.himajin.n...?2993/45#129018

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks! This one works!
I am getting hungry too!

[Hiroyuki]

This product is not Ougon Mamakari of Sankou but is quite similar.

[torakris]

I have also recently discoverd kanzuri, I have seen this product on one of my local supermarket shelves for years now but have never paid attention. I recently ran across a recipe that called for it so I decided to try it out, it looks like this



It is similar to yuzukoshou in that it has chiles (red in this case) and yuzu but other ingredients include koji (rice malt). It is also fermented for 3 years....
I found some information in English
aparrently the fresh chiles are salted then tossed into the snow for a couple days before being mixed with other ingredients, it is then left to ferment for 3 years.
It is much milder than yuzukoshou but is quite similar in taste.
It is a speciality of Arai city in Niigata.

[Hiroyuki]

You got me! My interest in Niigata is limited to Shiozawa and the Uonuma district only.

How about nanban miso then? It's not necessarily a specialty of Niigata, though.

There is a group of people (middle-aged women) making nanban miso.
http://www.s-dis.org/miso.html
(Japanese only)

Judging from this webpage, nanban miso is a mixture of red peppers, kouji (rice malt), and miso. (I've never tasted it.)

[sizzleteeth]

I have also recently discoverd kanzuri,

Ahh Kanzuri of Arai, I ordered a case of this directly from the producers about a year ago (you can't get it in the states - not even at Japanese markets - according to them they don't export).

There are actually several varieties containing both the red chilis and various ingredients.

The white label jars I have, have information in English - they sent me both the Gold Japanese Label and White English Label.

Very good stuff, not hot at all very mild and unique flavor - nothing like it here.

The story is that it came to be when some peppers hung to dry fell into the snow
and lay there for some time and then were eaten - so they made it this way from then on.

Great with grilled meats - even better mixed with Yuzu juice and used to marinate sashimi.

Here is the website:
http://www.haneuma.net/kanzuri/

Edited by sizzleteeth, 28 January 2005 - 11:35 AM.

[Hiroyuki]

Very good stuff, not hot at all very mild and unique flavor - nothing like it here.

Thanks for your description of kanzuri.
OK, I'll give it a try and report back.
Besides, I can't find yuzu koshou yet...

[torakris]

Ahh Kanzuri of Arai, I ordered a case of this directly from the producers about a year ago (you can't get it in the states - not even at Japanese markets - according to them they don't export).

Wow sizzleteeth!
How did you come to learn of it in the first place?

[Kiem Hwa]

Im in love with my Yuzu koshou, so now Im quite interested in trying Kanzuri. Do you think I'll be able to find this in Kansai? Any particular types of stores you would recommend trying?

[sizzleteeth]

[/quote]
Wow sizzleteeth!
How did you come to learn of it in the first place?

[/quote]

I've been self-studying an array of cuisines for some years and this last year has been focused heavily on Japanese in the last half.

I try to exhaust every conceivable element down to the most obscure references I can find and am especially interested in things no one seems to know about, so I hunt them down.

In researching Hinai Jidori I ran into the Imaiya Hoten website which made mention of Kanzuri.

http://www.imaiya.co...ish/index2.html

So I tried to find it all over the U.S. - along with Tonburi.

Even suppliers to Japanese restaurants here had no idea what I was talking about.

I searched until I found the producer and contacted them directly by email and purchased via wire transfer - they shipped to me via EMS from Arai.

Tonburi proved far more difficult, but I got lucky and a friend's girlfriend went to Tokyo to visit family - she had her grandmother pick up JSC vac packs of Tonburi for me and brought them back.

I have plans to be in Japan in May of this year and look forward to making many discoveries not possible to make here.

[sizzleteeth]

Do you think I'll be able to find this in Kansai?

The producers have an index on their website that shows, I believe, the places available to buy
within Japan.

http://www.haneuma.n...apan/index.html

[sizzleteeth]

Here you are, one of my white label bottles next to it's American cousin:



On the bottle in English reads on the top left hand:

"Kanzuri Chili Paste for seasoning food"

On the bottom it says:

"A symbol of the god of war worshipped by a heroic warlord in the age of civil wars in Japan".

If it helps anyone the address is:

438, Nishijo, Arai City, Niigata Pref. Japan
Phone: 0255-72-3813

Listed both on the bottle and the box they came in.

BTW - missed the "n" in "Imaiya Honten" in the previous post.

[Hiroyuki]

Kujira jiru.

I have refrained from posting this one so far--because the main ingredient is whale fat.

I don't know why, but people of Niigata love to have kujira jiru (whale soup) in the summer.
The main ingredient is whale fat, which is now quite expensive, around 700 yen per 100 grams.

http://www.iscb.net/...200107/0724.htm
Japanese only. Just look at the photo.
http://www.ohbsntv.c...cook020817.html
Japanese only. Kujira jiru recipe.
http://www.hgc.co.jp/pitem/39377446
Japanese only. Whale fat with skin. Scroll down until you see enlarged photos.

I myself have never made kujira jiru, but have had it several times. I find it very oily and not so delicious .

[Hiroyuki]

Very good stuff, not hot at all very mild and unique flavor - nothing like it here.

Thanks for your description of kanzuri.
OK, I'll give it a try and report back.
Besides, I can't find yuzu koshou yet...

I bought a bottle of kanzuri for 491 yen today, came home, and tasted it. I wasn't thrilled by the flavor. I had curry nanban (leftover from last night's supper) with a dab of kanzuri for lunch. I still wasn't thrilled. I think I have to find better uses for it.

Thank you anyway, torakris and sizzleteeth. I would never have thought of buying it without you guys.

[sizzleteeth]

Thank you anyway, torakris and sizzleteeth.  I would never have thought of buying it without you guys.

Hiroyuki,

I was the same when I tried it at first because my expectation had been completely different and somewhat over excited by the anticipation. Kanzuri on it's own, as stated above, is very mild - and it is fermented with Koji which is the same initial process for producing sake - as I'm sure you know. So it somewhat tastes like salty chili peppers with no heat mixed with a small amount of sake.

Like olive oil, or butter or really even other pepper sauces - on it's own it is OK.

It all depends on what you mix it with or use it on.

Try marinating some chicken in Kanzuri, Shoyu and Mirin and then char-grilling it.

Or mix Kanzuri and Yuzu and Shoyu and use it as a dipping sauce for sashimi.

No matter what you do it will probably not meet your initial expectation of it, the key
is to throw aside that expectation and use it practically.

[Hiroyuki]

Gifu is not the only prefecture in Japan where ayu (sweetfish) can be caught. The Uono river, which runs through my town, Shiozawa, is very famous for ayu fishing. Besides ayu, other species of fish such as iwana and yamame can also be caught there.

Students also enjoy numerous delicious foods and drinks, like "Soba" - buckwheat noodles, mountain vegetables, "Ayu" fish from the "Uono" river, watermelon, Japanese "Sake" - rice wine- wine and beer. All are grown or brewed in Yamato-machi and other towns in the vicinity.

from here:
http://ibs.iuj.ac.jp/aboutus/env.html

[Hiroyuki]

Dairiki natto.

Dairiki natto is known for its flavor.

Official website of the company Dairiki Natto:
http://ww5.et.tiki.ne.jp/~dairiki/
(Japanese only)
Their products:
http://ww5.et.tiki.n...airiki/sub2.htm

[Hiroyuki]

This product is not Ougon Mamakari of Sankou but is quite similar.

Sorry, I know this is quite off-topic.

This is mamakari sembei. It's not a specialty of Niigata, I suppose. My wife bought a pack this evening. It's mamakari's bones (probably deep-fried and seasoned with mirin and other condiments). It went very well with my shochu (distilled spirit). My children loved it too.