User:HelloAnnyong/Yuzukoshō

Yuzukoshō (柚子胡椒) is a type of Japanese seasoning. It is a paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt, which is then allowed to ferment. Yuzukoshō from Ōita Prefecture are the most famous, and it is a popular condiment used in Kyushu.

Summary
The kanji name uses "koshō" (which means black pepper), but this actually refers to chili peppers in a Kyushu dialect.

Normally green chili peppers are used, but red peppers can be used as well. Yuzukoshō made from green chilis is green, while using red chilis yields an orange paste.

It is usually used as a condiment for nabemono dishes, miso soup, and sashimi. In recent years, yuzukoshō has become more well known, so it is being used in a number of new, different ways.

Origin
There are theories that yuzukoshō was made in Hita, Ōita prefecture and in Soeda, Fukuoka prefecture.

Several towns in Hita were the centers where yuzu cultivation became popular, and where yuzukoshō had been made by families for a long time. However, there is no information available about how long it was made there, or when it became a product to be sold.

Mount Hiko is a mountain located between Fukuoka and Oita, and one of the three sacred mountains in Japan. It is also a place where yamabushi go to learn. There is a symbolic old yuzu tree in one of the gardens. A yuzu from the tree was used to create the paste, and yuzukoshō has been passed down through the generations of yamabushi. .

Traditionally yuzukoshō made by the yamabushi uses yellow yuzu, but green yuzu and green chilis can also be used, yielding the more modern green color. There is a brand called Yuzu no Kaori that comes from Mount Hiko and is made that way. Before World War II, the creator had a plan to start selling the paste, and in 1950 the Yuzu no Kaori brand was founded. At that time, the product was sold by train stations and near the Mount Hiko quasi-national park. The product became known for being a local specialty of Hita. Since there was an insufficient amount of raw materials in the local area, yuzu from the Yaba valley in Oita prefecture also had to be used. In 1956, Yuzu no Kaori received a commendation at a Fukuoka sightseeing exhibition. In 1958, an Antarctic expedition team requested a donation. In 1967, the product was endorsed by the Japan Federation of Gifts and Souvenirs. .

From the above, yuzukoshō grew in popularity as a traditional seasoning throughout Japan, starting from Oita and moving through Fukuoka.

Manufacturers
Originally yuzukoshō was made by families, but mass produced versions showed up on the market. It grew in popularity after being offered as a souvenir from Yufuin Onsen, the famous ryokan.

Still it grew in even more popularity when Fundokin (フンドーキン), a major producer of shoyu and miso in Kyushu, began making yuzukoshō. Recently it has become available in supermarkets in the Kanto region.

In recent years, major producers like House Foods, S & B Foods, McCormick & Company, and Lion have started selling it. A version of yuzukoshō in a tube has appeared on the market.

Use
Originally yuzukoshō was used in nabemono, but it is now also found as a condiment for dango soup, udon, miso, sashimi, tempura, and yakitori. Further, since becoming available all throughout Japan, it is being used in various different ways. For example, it is being used on spaghetti, salad dressing, tonkatsu, ramen, shumai, and other foods with foreign origins.

In manufactured products, smoked chicken and barbecued products have yuzukoshō added to them. They can mostly be found in Kyushu.

Calbee makes snack foods such as potato chips that are flavored as yuzukosh, but they are found in only certain locations. Ezaki Glico makes PRETZ with the flavoring, and Meiji makes a curly corn chip that is sold only in Kyushu. Kameda makes fried mochi chips and senbei as well. However, as snacks must not have any moisture in them, the flavoring is created by combining yuzu powder and chili powder, and real yuzukoshō is not used. In Kyushu, Kit-Kats with yuzukoshō flavor are sold.