I went to the Kirishima Sake Brewery, which manufactures Kurokirishima...is that a sweet potato?
Kurokirishima" is a shochu that can be found in almost any store (or so I believe). It is a sweetpotato shochu liqueur that is well known throughout Japan. I myself drink it at restaurants, and recently I often buy a pack of it and drink it at home. I think it is a versatile syochu liqueur that can be drunk as a mealtime drink or on its own.
In order to discover the roots of this famous shochu, I visited the Kirishima Shuzo factory where it is made. In this article, I would like to introduce three things that surprised me.
It is not in Kagoshima, but in Miyazaki.
(That's where it is! (Leave aside for the moment your temptation to say, "Oh, that's it! I've been taking care of you every day, but I really didn't know that).
Speaking of potato shochu, Kagoshima Prefecture has a strong impression in Kyushu. And "Kirishima" reminds us of Kirishima City in Kagoshima Prefecture. In other words, I had always assumed that the Kirishima Shuzo brewery, which bears the name Kirishima, was located in Kagoshima Prefecture. In fact, however, the company has been headquartered in Miyazaki Prefecture for nearly 100 years since its establishment.
The Kirishima mountain range can be seen from the headquarters.
The day of the interview was a beautiful, clear day.
The company's headquarters and factory are located in Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture, about an hour's drive southwest of Miyazaki Airport, on the border with Kagoshima Prefecture. Of the four factories, a tour of the Shihidaso factory is available free of charge (reservations required). It is quite impressive to see the raw materials being processed one after another and fermenting in a large tank.
Tours with commentary by a guide (courtesy of Kirishima Sake Brewery).
The main ingredient of sweet potato shochu is white.
The main ingredient of sweet potato shochu is, of course, sweet potatoes. Kogane Sengan" sweet potatoes are also used in the company's shochu, but the skin is not purple but white. It looks like a potato.
Freshly steamed Kogane Sengan. The big one is shaped like a gourd.
I was specially allowed to try a freshly steamed one. It still looked like a potato, but the cross section showed the color and fibers of a sweet potato. The texture was just like a sweet potato. On the other hand, the taste is different from that of a baked sweet potato, and is not as sweet. It was a strange sensation.
Kogane-Senkan is rich in starch and is one of the best varieties for making shochu. It is said that it is rarely sold in the general market, but if you find it somewhere, you should try it. It is said to be more suitable for cooking than for confectionery.
At a roadside station. You're selling them! I thought, "It's a purple sweet potato!
page They are a shochu maker, but I want you to try their "salt bread.
3] There are "specialties" other than shochu!
The Shihida Masu Plant, which is open to the public, is located in the Kirishima Factory Garden, a complex operated by the company. The facility includes a museum, hall, and other facilities, and a bakery and brewery (beer brewery) are located in a corner of the facility, which is said to be very popular.
The Kirinokura Bakery sells bread made from shochu moromi, which is produced during the shochu production process. Among the various types of breads available, including bread for meals, bread for side dishes, and sweet breads, the "salt bread" (90 yen), which uses local salt, is very popular. The center is filled with Takachiho butter, which melts when heated. The crispy bottom, mellow aroma of butter, and salty taste are irresistible. The popularity of the baked goods must be real, because they are sold out every minute they are baked.
The butter that seeps out is irresistible!
The Kirinokura Brewery is a combination of a microbrewery, restaurant, and store. Here, visitors can enjoy Kirishima Beer, the company's original microbrew. Like shochu, Kirishima beer is brewed with Kirishima rekkasui water, and the lineup includes blonde, golden, stout, and hyuganatsu. All beers have a nice sharp taste and a clean aftertaste.
Personally, I prefer blondes.
Extra] Local people's "love for Shirakiri
As many of you probably know, the Kirishima series includes "Akagirishima" and "Shirokirishima" in addition to "Kurokirishima. Shirokirishima, which has been sold as "Kirishima" for more than 80 years, underwent a name change and renewal in January. It is much older than Black (launched nationwide in 1999) and Red (launched in 2003). However, since most of the Kirishima is consumed within the prefecture, people outside of the prefecture are probably more familiar with Kurokirishima.
The difference between white and black is in the koji (malted rice). White koji is used for Shirokirishima, and black koji is used for Kurokirishima. Comparing the two, the white one has a stronger aroma of sweetpotato and is more robust. The black one is easier to drink, but I prefer the white one, because I like stinky shochu (in a good sense, of course). It seems that the locals also have a strong preference for white shochu, especially among older people who have been drinking it for many years. Incidentally, the current ratio of white shochu in the prefecture is about 50-50.
In fact, it is the best in Japan!
In September, it was announced that Miyazaki Prefecture surpassed Kagoshima Prefecture for the first time in the amount of potato shochu shipped in the 2014 brewing year, making it "number one" in Japan. This was due in part to the growth in sales of Kurokirishima shochu. The company has also ranked first in sales among shochu and awamori producers for three consecutive years. It is a large company that everyone recognizes.
Although the factories are increasingly mechanized to ensure stable production, the manufacturing process itself has not changed. Even though koji is now made by machine instead of by hand, and stored in large tanks instead of kettles, each product is made differently. The company's exclusive blender carefully evaluates the quality of each product, blends it, and sends it to the market.
The factory tour gave us a good sense of the importance they place on local ingredients and their pursuit of quality and taste. Needless to say, the drink after the tour was exceptionally tasty.
A glass of "Shirakiri" at a long-established oden restaurant