Kanzuri Co. Ltd

Kanzuri is made from just four natural ingredients. The main on being chilli pepper, it an original variety grown by Kanzuri Co and contracted farmers. It is considerably larger than an average chilli pepper and is charaterised by its thickness. The other ingredients are mineral-rich sea salt, rice grains without the husk removed and Yuzu fruit.

The chillies are first pickled in sea salt, then 'bleached' in the snow for three to four days to remove the salt, bitterness, and some of the heat from the peppers. The seeds that fall from these peppers become next year's pepper plants. The peppers are then collected, blended with koji-rice and yuzu and put into barrels, where the temperature is allowed to rise and fall with the seasons. The extreme weather in Niigata - blistering hot summers and long, cold winters - means the barrels must be checked and rotated to ensure a uniform taste and fermentation. Three (or as many as six) years later the result is a citrusy, delicately spicy paste that combines real umami with a subtle heat.