SRDas, 5 months ago

#lunch 2/3
The #sashimi was terrific - came with fresh grated wasabi root too and terrific soy sauce.
The raw shirasu (which we had had as nigiri in Tokyo some weeks ago) came in a plate and to be added over the rice in the set - and we were told there was fresh ginger to mix in to a bowl of soy and poured over (+ nori).
Everything here was super o-ishi - including the Oden pieces (daikon, chikuwa, tofu; in center).
#Food #Japan #Wakayama #Yuasa

Lunch set on a tray and a small plate of raw shirasu (tiny, near transparent whitebait fish) with some scallions on top
A plate of the shirasu with scallions on top and some sesame seeds. A small bowl of soy is next to it and also a plate with some shreds of nori and a small pile of grated ginger

SRDas, 5 months ago

#Lunch #DasInYuasa 3/3
Why not? Got some #sake as well - Nihonshu please, and said yes when the lady asked if we wanted it hot. Came in lovely water bath tokkuris with the cups as lids (is there a name for this ? @YamaguchiSake )
Good sake too! (Meant to but forgot to ask brand)
Most terrific and satisfying lunch.
Plenty of tea as well and with sake was just over 6K¥ - spectacular
Truly ごちそうさまでした。
#Japan #Food #Travel #Wakayama #Yuasa

The sake cup taken off the top to reveal a tokkuri in a cup (that is filled with hot water)
Fingers lifting rhe tokkuri out of its hot water bath container
Shirasu with (gingeted) soy poured over, atop rice with some nori shreds

SRDas, 5 months ago

After lunch we walked over - and just as we saw on the train ride, there were citrus trees , - mandarin oranges (marin) everywhere - different sizes (also a kumquat or kinkan)
Otherwise #Yuasa had fun narrow alleys with old buildings.

We went over to our reserved appointment atbthe soy sauce maker. That'll be a mini thread I'll tell you about and link to later.

#DasInYuasa #Wakayama #Travel #Japan

A big shrub, bush filled with orange kumquats
Narrow road with old wooden sided buildings
Narrow alley with grey concrete brick wall on one side and the sides of houses on the other

SRDas, 5 months ago

While I'm on the topic of #oranges and #wakayama and #Yuasa - we were given small ones at the soy sauce place and told the small ones are really good. Anyways, we picked up some at a store then more at an unattended stand 200¥ per bag both places. Then the takoyaki lady at the evening snack place handed us some as well. An abundance of oranges (so deep orange and bursting with flavor these!!)

#Japan #Food

Hands in gloves with 5 oranges in them
3 bags of oranges and some outside not in a bag, all on a narrow counter top in a kitchen

SRDas, 5 months ago

Catching back up here to add this mini thread 1/4 on our #SoySauce #FactoryTour at #Yuasa
I had made a timed tour reservation (via email via website) - not because of the historical reason (Yuasa town is where soy sauce started in #Japan - via kinzanji-miso, though heydays here are well past), but mainly because this place still does cedar cask (kioke) #fermentation and we wanted to see (and smell) that tradition

#Wakayama #Food #Travel
#DasInYuasa

Huge Cedar fermentation casks with metal cable and rope around
Printed sign with history of soy sauce in Japanese and English: The origin of Soy Sauce from Kinzanji-miso The birthplace of Japanese soy sauce is south of Osaka in Yuasa which is in Arida-gun Wakayama. It is said that the origin was in 1254 when Hottoukokushi (1207-1298) of Koukokuji temple of Yura (10km south-west of Yunsa) came back from the Southern Song. He had also learned how to make kinzanji miso as well. He began to propagate his knowledge of making soy sauce and how to make kinzanji miso. At present, kinzanji miso is made as a side dish for rice, by fermenting soy beans, rice, barley and several type of vegetable with salt and the other flavorings. Since the water of Yuasa was good making for miso, it was started to be made as a daily. In the process of making miso, the liquid that came up to the surface of the miso in the barrel was found to be good for cooking food. Soy sauce finally came to be brewed in various ways. This is said to be the origin of soy sauce in Japan.
Narrow poster with cartoon map and illustration of items for soy sauce production. A person is leaning forward to speak into a mobile device to translate

SRDas, 5 months ago

3/4 tours are free and anytime but with the pre-reservation (and 300¥) we got to do the fun fragrant moromi mixing - kaiire which is the mixing and aerating the morimi.
Here's a short 54 s vid of this bit

The moromi/mash fermentation - started in winter goes on for 1½-2 yrs before pressing into #SoySauce
#Yuasa #FactoryTour #Wakayama #Japan #Food #Travel

Video of a room with a cedar cask low down and with a brush slurry that is stirred and mixed with a paddle or oar

SRDas, 5 months ago

4/4 I won't belabor this (though Yuasa thread continues) but after the mixing, we saw other bits of the facility and then, and then (to the kids surprise!) we got to mix up and bottle our own (koji pre-inoculated) soy sauce! With instructions to aerate etc and to be filtered in a year. This took about 30+ mins
A terrific soy sauce factory tour and making experience (also ahem #homeschooling )

#SoySauce #Yuasa #FactoryTour #Wakayama #Japan #Food #Travel
#DasInYuasa

A table and stools in room. The table is set up with 4 stations with empty bottles and bags of soy sauce dry ingredients and instruction sheet
A clear plastic bottle with a brown slurry inside
Two kids sitting across a table, reading instructions and pouring and measuring water and with soy sauce ingredients in bottles in front of them

SRDas, 5 months ago

There is s quite a selection of items to get if you are so inclined (that are not in stores further away)
from various kinzanjimiso to soy and ponzu.
Even a smoked soy sauce (which I passed on, simpler to smoke my own).

#Yuasa #SoySauce
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3eo6GUketNNuefVR9

#DasInYuasa

Several shelves with rows of soy sauce (different grades/types and bottlings)
Tubs of kinzanji miso (different kinds - ume and yizu and other) on shelves
Yuasa Soy sauce sign on the road side outside theit building, and a large porcelain bottle with the Yuasa name on it.