醤 油
SOY SAUCE
SOY SAUCE
こだわりの天然醸造醤油
醤油造りは小麦を石炭で炒ることから始めます。蒸した大豆と合わせて醤油のもろみの元にするのですが、麹ができるまで石室の温度を一定に保つ為に昼夜を分かたず世話をします。
高さ２ｍを越す木桶に入れてからも、蔵付き酵母や四季の気候の助けが十分生かされるよう、櫂棒で攪拌を続けます。
Natural brew soy sauce
Soy sauce starts with the roasting of wheat over coal. The base mixture of the soy sauce (called moromi) is combined with steamed soybeans. The base mixture is made from koji, that has been cared for both day and night in a stone muro (fermentation room for koji) to ensure a quality product. The moromi, soybeans and wheat, are joined together in a large barrel that exceeds two meters in height and is then stirred with a long wooden paddle in order to fully incorporate the ingredients with the yeast culture of the barrel and the Kura storehouse. Because this is a natural process, depending on the time of year, the natural climate within the Kura is also a factor in this fermentation process.
麦を炒る
石炭を使用するレンガ積みの麦炒り機。大正期の導入時は最新機械だったはずが、今ではレンガの積み直しを頼むにも職人が見つからず、修復に数年を要したほど国内でも稀少。麦を炒る香ばしい匂いがあたりに立ちこめます。
Roasting the wheat
We have a unique machine for roasting wheat over coal. It was the latest technology when developed in the Taisho era (1912-1926) and is now a rare object in Japan. It took several years to repair because no craftsman could be found to relay the bricks. Whether in operation or not at the time, there is always a fragrant smell of roasting wheat around this machine.
仕込みのはじまり
醤油を仕込むのは厳しい寒さの時期。石炭の赤々とした火色や木炭の温かい光、藁の燃える炎が心をときめかせます。
石炭は北海道から。麹室の保温に用いる木炭と稲藁は毎年地元の方に作ってもらっています。
Shikomi – the first procedures in the making of soy sauce
The making of soy sauce starts in the extremely cold snowy winter months. The bright red color of the coal, and the warm light and flames of the charcoal and straw, contrast to the cold white of the snow all around, giving hope and joy to the makers.
We order our coal from Hokkaido and the charcoal and rice straw used to keep the koji room warm are produced by the same locals every year for us.
麹をつくる
麹室の温度は床にある囲炉裏の埋火と、天井の空気孔で調節。昼夜を問わず管理します。醤油の麹造りは、より細やかな管理と配慮が必要です。
職人がほぐしながら手先を通して麹菌の成長を感じます。
Making Koji
The temperature of the koji muro (room) is controlled by an underground fire in the hearth on the floor and the air holes in the ceiling. We manage the temperature of this muro day and night because in order to make quality koji, the temperature must be kept at a constant. The koji will be checked often to ensure it is developing as it should, a check made by the koji craftsmen who feels for the growth of Aspergillus oryzae on each grain of rice.
櫂入れ・熟成
５トンの木桶が満たされるまで、麹を何度も担ぎ歩き、桶に入れます。百年以上使い続けられている天然杉の木桶は木肌に蔵付き酵母（いしまご恵比寿酵母）を蓄え一年半の時をかけて醸します。
蔵人は出来上がるまで何度も攪拌を続け、諸味と向き合います。
Paddle stirring of the barrels and the ageing process
The resulting koji is transported tray by tray to the five ton barrels that already include all of the other ingredients. The natural Japanese cedar of these barrels has been used for more than 100 years and houses our unique yeast culture (Ishimago Ebisu yeast). Within these barrels the koji will rest and age for a year and a half until it develops into moromi. To ensure the fermentation process of all the ingredients together, the brewer must stir the barrels many times over the year and half period.
圧搾・ビン詰め
熟成した醤油の素・諸味は麻袋に入れて並べられ、槽（ふね）と呼ばれる搾り用具で醤油と醤油粕に分けられます。ビン詰めも手作業で、出来上がった醤油の香りを確かめながら仕上げます。
Filtering and bottling
The resulting aged mixture is then filtered through hemp to separate the moromi and remaining matter from the soybeans and wheat, from the liquid soy sauce. The soy sauce is bottled by hand at this point as a means of quality control, measured by the scent of the soy sauce.
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一年以上熟成した純正醤油a genuine handmade product, aged for over a year天然醸造醤油 百寿Hyakuju
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百寿の旨みに米麹の甘みthe addition of extra koji gives a great umami depth米麹仕立天然醸造醤油 招寿Shouju
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本醸造醤油を再仕込み水にwater used for the making is fermented first再仕込天然醸造醤油 芳寿Houju
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二年間じっくりと熟成Slow and natural aging process that can last up to two years兆寿CHOJU
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琥珀色の味噌の上澄み液Feel free to use it in place of soy sauce再仕込天然醸造 みそたまりMiso-tamari
