【Fermentation Chronicles: Episode 8】✨
The World’s Hardest Fermented Food & Our Chosen “Blended Fish Powder (Awasebushi)” 🐟
Did you know that… “Katsuobushi is actually the hardest fermented food in the world”?
”Honkarebushi,” the premium dried bonito used in high-end Japanese cuisine, is crafted by smoking bonito and repeatedly spraying it with high-grade koji mold to ferment and mature over several months.
The mold breaks down the fats, eliminates any fishy odor, and extracts moisture to the absolute limit. This results in a golden, crystal-clear, and exceptionally delicate dashi broth—a true “art of mold and time” that Japan takes immense pride in.
So, does our ramen use this “Honkarebushi”?
The answer is… “No, it does not.”
◆ Why We Chose Not to Use a Delicate Fermentation for Ramen
Ramen broth is a world of bold, intense flavors—a rich harmony of pork bones, chicken, and aromatic vegetables.
If we used the delicate, pure flavor of fermented Honkarebushi, its subtle taste and aroma would instantly be overpowered by the broth’s intensity.
What ramen truly demands is not a refined, mellow softness, but the raw, punchy essence of the fish paired with a robust and powerful smoky profile (“Arabushi”).
Therefore, the perfect partner we selected for our soup and tare sauce is the “Blended Fish Powder” from Fukushima Katsuo—a venerable shop in Kyoto, the capital of dashi, with a rich history spanning over 90 years.
◆ The Golden Ratio of “Blending” by a Historic Kyoto Shop
A single type of fish simply cannot hold its own against the richness of ramen broth.
Crafted through decades of expertise at Fukushima Katsuo, each component in this blend serves its purpose flawlessly:
Bonito (Arabushi / Smoked without mold fermentation): Delivers an immediate, powerful burst of smoky aroma and a crisp, punchy bite.
Mackerel (Saba) / Frigate Tuna (Soda): Forms the backbone of the broth with rich, deep umami and natural sweetness.
Niboshi (Dried baby sardines): Adds a subtle touch of bitterness and an intriguing depth of flavor.
Blending these smoked fish together before the mold fermentation stage creates a “firm, robust dashi foundation” that stands tall and never gets overshadowed by meat-based broths.
◆ Artisan Craftsmanship Settling at the Bottom of Your Bowl
When you finish the broth down to the last drop, or as the fragrant aroma of the fish powder hits your senses with every slurp of noodles—
that rich, lingering fragrance spreading across your palate is the true power of Kyoto’s finest dried fish.
While we deeply appreciate the “elegance of fermentation” that creates crystal-clear broths, for our ramen… we deliberately chose the “art of the blend” to deliver an unmistakable impact of smoke and deep fish umami.
We invite you to experience the legacy of Kyoto’s historic craft and our dedication, poured right down to the very last drop in your bowl.
🍜 Recommended menu to experience the intense aroma of dried fish:
◆ Fish Powder Shoyu (Chicken Chashu)
Size S: 70 THB
Size M: 90 THB
◆ Fish Powder Shoyu (Pork Chashu)
Size S: 90 THB
Size M: 110 THB
#FermentationChronicles #DriedFish #Katsuobushi #Dashi #Ramen #Kyoto #GovernmentProject
【Fermentation Chronicles: Episode 8】✨”Honkarebushi,” the premium dried bonito used in high-end Japanese cuisine,
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