In the small town of Oono 大野 where the Kanazawa inlet meets the Sea of Japan is Chef Kevin Cory's family shoyu (soy sauce) brewery, Naogen Shoyu 直源醤油 since 1825. Oono town's perfect climate and high quality water create great flavor for shoyu. Oono town has been one of Japan's premiere centers of shoyu production since 1615, started by Ihei Naoe-ya. |
MOROMI 諸味Naoe family shoyu is made by fermenting a mash of steamed whole soybeans, roasted wheat, koji (Aspergillus oryzae), water from Mount Hakusan (one of Japan's Three Holy Mountains), Noto's Agehama-style salt, and the brewery's microbial ecosystem. |
Naoe family shoyu brewery dripping and squeezing moromi drained from the wooden tub. |
Naogen Shoyu brewery townhouse in Oono is designated as a Komachinami preserved building by Kanazawa City. Only a 200 meters walk around the corner from Naogen Shoyu, up a slope and into a small coastal forest is Oono Hiyoshi Jinja 大野日吉神社, one of the oldest shrines in the area that was established during the Nara period in 733. Oono town has flourished as a river port since then, prospered as a base for Kitamae-bune ships that spread culture across Japan during the Edo period (1603 - 1868), and became one of Japan's top shoyu producers with Naogen Shoyu at the forefront. The deep taste and aroma of Naoe family shoyu matches a variety of Kaga-Yasai 加賀野菜, indigenous local vegetables of the old Kaga Domain centered in Kanazawa. It is said that shoyu contains over 300 components of aromas, such as, apple, rose, vanilla and so on. Chef Kevin Cory introduced Naogen Shoyu to the United States at NAOE Miami. More information coming soon... |
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