Shizuka explores the city of fermented foods, Maebashi in Gunma Prefecture, for a taste of their local specialties: natto, soy sauce, and yakimanju.
Things to do in Gunma Prefecture: https://www.byfood.com/areas/gunma
Kasukawa Natto
Kasukawa Town is famous as a soybean-producing area. They manage a 20-hectare field at the southern foot of Mt. Akagi. They place emphasis on homegrown and handmade natto that’s produced with care. To maximize the flavor of the soybeans, they use high-quality water from Mount Akagi, and deep-steam the soybeans for a long time at low pressure to emphasize their chunky texture and sweetness.
Shokunin Shoyu Maebashi Honten
Opened in 2010, Shokuhin Shoyu carries over 90 brands of soy sauce from Tohoku to Kyushu, in portable 100ml size bottles, as well as ponzu and seasonings like mirin and vinegar.
Harashimaya Sohonke
Yakimanju is a local Gunma specialty--a sweet, roasted bun that’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The bun is usually made with rice or wheat flour and yeast or possibly koji, thus it’s a fermented food.
At Harashimaya Sohonke, located in an old folk house-style building, their manju buns are made of wheat flour that’s fermented with koji kin. Their savory sauce uses red miso and mizuame, a thick sugar syrup. The business has now been in operation for over 164 years.
LOCATIONS:
Kasukawa Natto 粕川なっとう
--126-6 Kasukawamachi Nishitanabo, Maebashi, Gunma 371-0217
Shokunin Shoyu Maebashi Honten 職人醤油 前橋本店
--371-0013 Gunma, Maebashi, Nishikatakaimachi, 5 Chome−４−8
Harashimaya Sohonke 原嶋屋総本家
--2 Chome-5-20 Heiwamachi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-0027
0:00 Intro
0:56 Kasukawa Natto
8:15 Shokunin Shoyu
11:33 Harashimaya Sohonke
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🎬 CREDITS:
HOST » Shizuka Anderson
DIRECTOR » Joji Kurosawa
VIDEO EDITOR » Esteban Haga
PRODUCER » Serkan Toso