Why Japanese Kanzuri Chile Paste Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider
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- Опубліковано 15 тра 2024
- Kanzuri is a traditional fermented chile paste that is exclusively produced in Myoko in Japan's Niigata Prefecture by the Tojo family. Before the family started selling the condiment in 1966, it was only made in small batches for household use. Today, a six-year-aged 2.5-ounce bottle sells for almost $20.
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00:00 - Intro
01:13 - Kanzuri's Unique Taste
01:53 - Snow Bleaching The Peppers
04:16 - Making Kanzuri Paste
07:51 - The History and Evolution of Kanzuri
09:30 - Climate Change Threats To Production
12:20 - A Source Of Local Pride
12:51 - Credits
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#japan #soexpensive #businessinsider
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Why Less Snow Is Threatening Japan's Expensive Kanzuri Chile Paste | So Expensive | Business Insider
Ah yes japan, where everything is premium and requires 80 years to master
Haha 😂. Honestly
I think same mostly bs
Tabasco is better
Seriously. Everything 😂
chili sauce not from japan : 😐
chili sauce from japan : 🤯😱
I love this series because the answer is always, it's handmade and rare.
Im more impressed how this factory is so damn clean.
Only cleaned for the camera crew
Bro this Japanese factory we are talking @@sambeam2404
@@sambeam2404go to China and see their factory, they can’t do shit about the cleanliness no matter how many cameras are there
it has to be pretty clean so the huge vats of paste don't get contaminated.
They are fermenting something is has to be clean
For what it's worth, I can get that jar of kanzuri at my grocery for about ¥800, which at the current (worse than usual) exchange rate, is about USD $5.
It's really good stuff. Just not sure the $18.90 price tag is fair to use as evidence when the domestic price is so much less.
Regardless, if you have the chance to try some, please do. Delicious stuff.
It has been explained in the video at @6:04
I have to say, the narrator's voice is really soothing
I was just thinking the same thing. I want her to read me a bedtime story
Oh I think Paolo from Tokyo did a video here, great stuff
He did and he also made his own chili sauce also. 😊
Love that guy he's great
ye nice stuff
@@JoshuaMelarahe has his own brand a d sells it through his channel
A little more clarification for those wondering about the process of Yuki Sarashi, or snow bleaching:
The chili peppers are salted 🧂beforehand and are exposed for 3 - 4 days in the snow ❄️, AND in the SUN ☀️.
The salt slowly breaks down the pepper, the peppers are then covered in snow and exposed in the sun, the sun slowly melts the snow, the snow acts as a delicate absorbent, only absorbing a little at a time, and helps naturally remove (or I guess you could say, slowly washes away) the raw bitterness and harshness of the peppers and makes the flavor more pleasant.
The fibers also become softer, making them easier to process. This is why this natural process is very vital to making the final product taste better.
All in all, this process takes away all the stuff you don’t want, while leaving all the things you do want intact - naturally!
EDIT: If you live in a cold snowy place, this is sometimes just more economical than buying and operating freezers.
I’m not sold on this snow bleaching step. It’s just frozen water that makes the peppers soggy afterwards.
I don’t think it melts, they only work during winter in that province which looks pretty cold. They’ve been doing it so long, it’s probably safe to assume sogginess has little to no negative impact.
Me neither, it sounds like something that worked in the past and he is just afraid to change it because “that’s how his father and grandfather made it.”
"A little more clarification for those wondering about the process of Yuki Sarashi, or snow bleaching:
The chili peppers are salted beforehand and are exposed for 3 - 4 days in the snow , AND in the SUN .
The salt slowly breaks down the pepper, the peppers are then covered in snow and exposed in the sun, the sun slowly melts the snow, the snow acts as a delicate absorbent, only absorbing a little at a time, and helps naturally remove (or I guess you could say, slowly washes away) the raw bitterness and harshness of the peppers and makes the flavor more pleasant.
The fibers also become softer, making them easier to process. This is why this natural process is very vital to making the final product taste better.
All in all, this process takes away all the stuff you don’t want, while leaving all the things you do want intact - naturally!"
The ozone generated when snow melts sterilizes, deodorizes, bleaches, and decomposes the components of chili peppers. Since ancient times, deep snow regions in Japan have used this action to bleach cloth and process preserved foods such as Freeze-dried tofu and "KANTEN" agar. As you can find out, agar and cloths lose their color remarkably when they are bleached by snow.
hard to appreciate the process without ever tasting this product; and perhaps compare against a non- snow bleached version
it appears to be a fancier version of yuzukosho, which can be found in many asian markets worldwide
Somehow Japanese people find a way to make cheap stuff expensive and make expensive stuff cheaper (and better actually, for eg:watches)
They still make expensive watches, though
Seiko NH35 supremacy
Also a little history FYI, around 400 years ago during the Warring States period, chili peppers were introduced from Europe and brought into Kyoto and distributed to farmers. They were also carried by the warlord Kenshin Uesugi when he went to war. They’ve been snow bleaching the peppers since then. In Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, where Myoko City is located, people made miso and pickled chili peppers in each household, which they then put into hot pots and soups to help them get through the cold winter.
I loved the mispronunciation of snow!! Really made me smile
Paolo from Tokyo has already got a hot sauce from this stuff and it’s amazing. Get it.
I ordered a bottle which arrived today, and I'm excited to try it.
I'm sure they can invent a machine to replicate the conditions if the snow fails.
If the snow fails do you think it might also effect the lives of the animals in the area and the livelihoods of the people who also live and work there? There's not a machine for that. The solution is to stop climate change so the snow, heat, and other weather remains where it's supposed to be.
@@charcoalanderson8010 I fully agree. That said, we're running late on climate change. We should have taken serious measures to stop it many years ago.
@@bakerkawesa There was a paper released back in like 1904 of scientists warning about climate change seeing the effect Coal alone had. We sadly are ruled by idiots with money and dying by them.
those chilis have six months of pickling time during which they can be transported to a snowy location. they're just trying to keep it local to preserve official authenticity.
the conditions would however not be suitable for artificial imitation, as the leeching of salt may depend somewhat on having the daily temperature cycle, and the titular bleaching is done by UV light, which would be energy-intensive to recreate, and the creation of which (probably by mercury vapor lamps) would inadvertently also produce heat that would need to be compensated by more cooling. combining the salt-leeching function of distilled water with freezing temperatures and strong sunlight exposure really makes for some interesting unique food processing conditions.
@@charcoalanderson8010 All they need to do is build a freezer warehouse that they can fill with artificial snow to perform the bleaching process. The advantage of doing this instead of doing it outside means they can bleach all year long instead of just the winter months.
Kanzuri is amazing!
... Paolo from tokyo ...
It's crazy that was the first thought I had when I read the title.
I had the same thought.
saw this first from Paolo From Tokyo channel
go, Paolo! Paolo from Tokyo spreading awareness for the region and boosting sales!!! Woooooooo
I see Japanese craftsmanship, I click
Thing:😒🥱
Japanese thing: 🤑🤩😱
Loool
Paolo from Tokyo viewer right here!
I bet if they make a batch without going through this "snow bleaching" process, they won't be able to taste the difference. This snow bleaching step appears to be a way to make the product more exclusive - that is, more costly to the consumers - without adding any benefit to the product.
Yeah, I'm a sucker of old traditions in crafts, but when it makes sense today. Instead of finding the right snowy field, why don't they just pack the chillies with grounded/shaved ice into containers and then throw them into industry-sized freezers? If times and climate are changing, why can't their business?
@@wamken619 But putting peppers in commercial freezer filled with shaved ice does not help sell their story. They might even say that the gentle winter sun from January through March, and the northeasterly wind blowing at 6 MPH also helps accentuate the taste of Kanzuri.
@changrenyong7616 lmao, they totally would say those reasons just to maintain their expensive prices and scarcity. Also, is it just me or does "snow-bleaching" sound like a euphemism mild freezer burn?
Thank you! you saved me lots of typing 😛. Also, they could cover the ground with plastic (maybe stainless steel for more umami 😂 ) so the bloody chili wouldn't get contaminated!!!)
Like every other japanese tech
The Japanese always find a way to make simple things complicated and more expensive
They had a lot of time to waste in the past…now it’s called traditional 😅
yea i was fkn wondering what makes it so exp, and it takes years to make the product, i think the snow bleaching doesnt even dent the taste, its just extra bs
yuzu milds the flavor so much notwithstanding the rice and the fermentation process that takes so long lmao the chef was like oh its different, fck sake of course its different
@paolofromtokyo loving how you do your sauce!
I have tried this chilli paste and it's amazing! I don't normally go in for spicy food, but this stuff has so much savory flavour going on it was worth the heat.
Japanese chillis are spicy?
I thought this was a Paolo fromTokyo video 😂
Haha I should have read this before commenting the same
Well, he made his own hot sauce blend with that company.
The soundtrack to this video is very reminiscent of Miyazaki films, which feels like we’re heading in the right direction.
What does the snow actually do to the peppers and taste other than freeze them
Video said it leached off some of the pickle brine.
Props to the narrator’s correct native pronunciation of Japanese ❤
You can create artificial snow nowadays and mirror the exact conditions. They are probably just doing this to justifiy the price. It 's also a small market.
exactly. I think they're doing it to justify the story of the product, which dictates the price and the excessive labor somehow makes it more luxurious. Story selling for a product annoys me because the product should speak for itself, I shouldn't have to know its "snow aged". If you didn't know the story, doubt anyone would pay 2x or 3x more for chili paste. And if you're romanticised by the story, you'll convince yourself it tastes better. Usually if you have an exceptional product, you wouldn't tell people how its made. When they let you know, they're selling the story.
if you cant stand red chilli peppers spiciness, you can try green chilli peppers, they are young red chilli peppers that already harvested for lower level of sting spicy bite allowing us to taste the chilli mildly. in my country many cuisine using this because its less spicy and more manageable on how spicy a cooking must be
If its cold enough can they use a snow machine?
Vids are full of details, best channel!!!
I bet if you had a hundred people try this blindly with multiple samples without snow and one with this snow, everybody would just be wild guessing which one hung out in the snow.
Didn't know you could also spell chili as chile
You can’t. One is a plant and one is a country in South America.
@@NativeAsElizabethWarren Wrong. Chile is a common spelling of the peppers in Spanish countries. "Chili" is simply the most used spelling to English populations and thus leads to people thinking it is the only correct way, when Chile is just as relevant in reality.
@@NativeAsElizabethWarrenthe same word can be used for both. The chile spelling is used in spanish areas, specifically for the pepper. Not very common, especially in places like america but still considered valid.
@@NativeAsElizabethWarren maybe in english you can't but in spanish you spell chili as chile
Oh no, Paolo's hot chili sauce is in danger ! 😢
fr
well, if the stuff is good, it would be very easy to imitate elsewhere. particularly because the growing location and the snow-bleaching location don't need to be close to each other at all, as the chili peppers have half a year of pickling time during which they could be transported. it's not like the whole world is running out of winter time snow-pack entirely yet.
Maybe I'm missing something, but snow is just water, and they could out it in a freezer with artificial snow.
I think you're missing the point. This is the traditional way of making this condiment.
the point is not take make it as fast and cheaply or efficient as possible... How you keep things expensive and special... Basically how they keep occupations worthwhile.
think economically and culinary/culturally... The costs for maintaining and running a huge freezer that can accommodate vast amounts of pepper is extremely costly especially when compared to natural snow.... plus the snow from the region will most likely impact the taste and not to speak of the cultural aspects of doing it for centuries the exact same way... I am sorry but your suggestion is ridiculous and ignorant...
@@Kenny-yl9pc someone really let you cook. It's not rediculous or ignorant to suggest using a freezer to make/store snow. And driving into the mountains and renting a ski slope also isn't cheap
@@Kenny-yl9pc The advantage though is that they can continue bleaching all year instead of just during the winter time so they would make up the costs by producing more.
This video is gonna make this paste even more expensive and imposible to get
Yup! Lemme go get a bottle real quick!
Why not try first using artificial ice/snow to see if it can be viable?
No worries! Bring those chilli's to Alberta, Canada. Tons of snow here! And lands are cheap. Open factory here with bots! Labour cost is offset by logistics cost. Made in Canada awaits ya!
Didn't somebody already invented a refrigerator.
They should build a factory in Finland. We had like 6 months of knee deep snow.
Id prefer a price hike up for the process, rather than just for the name of a brand there are a lot of companies who hike up their price just because theyre a well known brand😵
Chili comes from new world so this recipe is quite new in old world countries like Japan , as this is new recipe price has something to do with market placement ( propaganda) it’s similar to price of Mercedes or bmw which is super unreliable still cost decent amount
Thats what i was thinking this snow bleaching most likely dose not to do anything at all. I worked for Koreans and thry could be a little crazy and act like something they just made up was some ancient Chinese medicen lol.
I hope the snow doesn’t become a bigger problem for them in the future
How does it compare to Tabasco sauce taste wise?
I feel like I need to get into the snow beaching biznis
No wonder the snow taste spicy
where do we buy it?
Sambel korek campur keringat juga unik rasanya, tidak semua orang di dunia tau rasanya
They should use the 20$ salt that you showed in the other video, imagine the flavor then 😂
LMAO
Guys if you don't agree with the price you can use applied economic, low supplies and high demand
Paolo from tokyo viewer here !!
Lol...just use the snow machine people use for skiing. Jp should have those.
The price is set by the will of the seller. The amount of product and Market demand "may" also influence the Price.
Couldn't they make "snow" like sno-cones and place them in a temperature controlled refrigerator?
Yes
"Traditional methods". Japanese culture is generally not so easy to discard traditions, compared to western culture.
Never eat yellow kazuri. 🌶️ 👀
Buenas actividades
Hokkaido be like: I heard y’all need snow?
Try making it in the US or Canada maybe?
So many more things will suffer extinction. However, we humans are quite resilient and intelligent.
That one wearing snow boots while the other is in normal shoes to compact the snow...
Work smarter, not harder 👌🤣
They have that, probably, £10000+ snowmobile. Buy the poor person some snow boots or skies or something 😂
basically everything in Japan is premium.
Do aipac next
I love Japan.
So what is it? 4 or 5 ?
Just put them in them in the freezer, grind ice to a fine powder, whatever, don't be so dramatic.
Without drama no money
How is the snow affecting the taste of chili peppers? It’s just frozen water and dirt. They don’t even ferment it in snow. And after fermentation for a few years, I don’t think you can taste any snow
From the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry. and Fisheries: "Chili peppers that have been exposed to the snow lose their bitterness and have more umami flavor.." Do you also ask how could weather conditions possibly effect things like wine. It's just air, water, earth, and sun!!! (FYI: it affects the grapes final color, acidity, and sweetness.)
What is that question?!
@@kimjong-un5074it's the most interesting part of the process, and one they don't answer in the video
@@antonhelsgaun They did say you obviously didn't watch it. Besides the temperature affecting flavour the snow washes off some of the salt on the peppers.
@@mightheal which is an incredibly vague answer. That's like asking why you bake potatoes and the answer being "the temperature affects the potatoes"
I wonder if you could theoretically just make your own snow using like ice shaver like snow couldn’t you replicate it in doors that way?
Oh the exact company who made hot sauce for paolo from tokyo channel
it sounds reasonable that it would only be so expensive when exported....lol
like everything, in places like Thailand you can get fresh lobster for a few usd, lots of tropical regions you can get massive bags of various fresh fruit for several usd ,yes in America those would cost a hundred plus per bag.
Why is it called bleaching? Isn't it just regular deep freezing?
they literally can just toss it in shaved ice (like bingsu consistency) and leave it in a freezer. They're just making a story to sell chili paste. If it was that much better, they wouldn't share the trade secret of "snow bleaching"
外国メディアは日本のメディアよりも日本の文化や産業について有益な情報を発信しているような気がする。
anybody can really tell if thats really change flavor or not?
watch the vid
@@ethanstewart9970 i ask people in comments who tried it not who was paid to say so
Feel a bit silly asking, but why not just get a slurpie machine? and put the peppers in a bucket of it?
Every chily sauce in southeast asia would probably beat this in term of taste
What is snow bleaching?
A gimmick to sell the paste at a higher price lol
I don't mean to be pedantic, and I'm not trying to be mean or anything like that, but couldn't you just get yourself a device that creates "snow" by shaving down big blocks of ice, or designing a freezer system that does the exact same thing? I mean, I live in the Northeastern US where we get LOTS of snow during winter, but sometimes it just doesn't snow very much at all, and skiing/snowboarding places have to make their own snow! So I know it's actually possible...
Is it just me or any other snowboarders out there thinking this would be a spicy situation to hit? 😊
Artificial snow?
Lol the price is because of the middle man thats great
The video is having super high pitch voice
I like the manual stepping across the snow to compress the layer. Only by women with feet of a specific size
I just want to know - who was the first ever guy to try this nonsense and decide that it was actually superior in every way to a conventional chili paste?
If they don’t use real snow they can’t charge that much, but they could approximate the coldness & wetness of snow artificially, yes. They just couldn’t have the excuse to over charge for their chili paste.
We have seen that companies don't need an excuse to charge what they do. If this was made the same way in the US it would cost even more.
So, a freezer with UV light won't work.
This is a marketing scheme
This series has gone from showing why ingredients command such luxury pricing, to illustrating how climate change is worsening the scarcity.
Snow doesnt bleach things.... why are you saying that....
How does snow bleaching affect the taste? It seems false but I'm not sure.
a lot of it is selling the story more than anything. if it actual made a difference, he'd buy a snowmaker and mass produce this stuff in a temp controlled warehouse. Some people like to "add a twist" to their product to differentiate from the rest, imo this is that example. Quite honestly I'm not sold. It's like that black onsen egg, if you want to believe it tastes better, you'll convince yourself but 95% of the population says it tastes like a normal boiled egg.
Imagine adding this paste on a grilled 🥩
😊
better using sambals from Indonesia than this paste Chili from Japan,,,
"Adapt or die"
The process would take constant temperature stability, no thawing and refreezing otherwise it would just turn into gunk. Worked with koreans and sometimes what they actually really dosent do anything..
Hear me out: crushed ice
Is it chili 🌶️ paste or Chile (country)paste
Chile is a common spelling in Spanish populations, Chili is simply the most common spelling by English speakers and has dominated the way of thinking that it is the only correct way.
@alexissandoval1284 what???? What language do you think this video is in... Chili is the only correct way to spell it in english
I bet if they paid the farmers more money for the produce their would be more than 4 to 5 farmers producing 🤷
Why does she say it like snou ??
Chilli 🌶️ is the spice Chile 🇨🇱 is the country. Came here to see the country getting pounded to paste. So disappointed