44. Chrysanthemum soy sauce 100ml

A dark sake made with rare, large Tanba black beans.

Made from large, flavorful black beans from Tanba and "Sanuki no Yume 2000" wheat from Kagawa Prefecture, this soy sauce is aged for two years in a 32 koku cedar barrel. After natural filtration, it is pressed slowly under a weight. This is a traditional dark soy sauce that is characterized by a light, sharp flavor, a subtle sweetness, and above all, a beautiful color and rich fragrance. It is recommended for use as a soy sauce in general, as well as for dishes where you want a beautiful color, such as rice with raw eggs on top, and simmered vegetables.

A soy sauce brewery I really want to visit

Customers who stop by the storefront often say, "I've been here before!" at Yamaroku Soy Sauce. You can tour the store without making a reservation, and you can see the storehouse as it is, with detailed explanations, rather than anything prepared for the tour. You are greeted by a dimly lit and silent storehouse that is free of any unpleasant smells and feels like it is in another dimension. The stories of the fifth-generation owner, Yasuo Yamamoto, are also very interesting!

What is surprising when you step into the brewery is the appearance of bacteria living in the barrels. Bacteria essential for soy sauce production, such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast, are densely packed even on the outside of the barrels, and it is rare to see a barrel so covered with bacteria. All of the barrels are brewed in wooden barrels, and many of them have been used for over 100 years.

The fragrance stands out when applied

For those who want to enjoy the simple taste of ingredients and soy sauce, such as with rice with raw egg or grilled shiitake mushrooms, try Kikujiang. Kikujiang is characterized by its strong fragrance, so if you pour it directly over hot rice or shiitake mushrooms, the aroma of the soy sauce will stand out. The light, sharp saltiness also brings out the flavor of the ingredients.

It goes great with meat.

Kiku soy sauce goes really well with meat, whether it's gyoza, shumai, or steak. The refreshing taste of the soy sauce brings out the umami and sweetness of the meat. There are cases where a soy sauce goes well with pork but not so well with beef, or the soy sauce's goodness comes out when you eat it with the sauce but not when you use it in cooking, but Kiku soy sauce brings out its sharpness and good aroma in a variety of meat dishes.