Shinjuku, NakanoKyoto-style picklesJapanese-style meal
Saikyo zuke is a very familiar food on Japanese tables, where the taste of the fish is brought out by the miso paste. One of the signature products of Tsutanoya, a Japanese restaurant established in 1937 that has been in business for about 80 years, is “Kyoka-zuke,” a top-quality Saikyo pickles. What kind of ingenuity is put into “Kyoka-zuke,” which is also loved as a gift? How did they come up with unique products such as “Kyohana Sushi” and “Kyohana Smoked Pickles”? We interviewed Mr. Hideki Ichimada, the third generation head of Tsuta no Ie, about the reason for the deliciousness of the “Tsuta no Ie” brand and the ingenuity of its branding.
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How to enjoy “Kyoka Smoked” that goes well with both sake and wine
Can you tell us about one of your company’s brands, “Kyoka Smoked”?
It is a smoked version of our popular product “Kyoka Zuke”. We have smoked saikyo zuke, a type of fish and seafood, in order to provide an opportunity to eat fish more easily against the backdrop of the westernization and fast food trend among young people and many people who say that cooking fish is too much trouble.
So you made Saikyo zuke once and smoked it further?
We spend 2 to 3 days to make “Kyouka-zuke” and then smoke it with chips for a longer period of time.
It takes a lot of time and effort.
This product is sold frozen and can be enjoyed immediately after thawing.
It seems to be enjoyed in a different way from “Kyoka-zuke”.
While “Kyoka-zuke” is perfect with white rice, this product is a great snack with alcoholic beverages. It is enjoyed not only with Japanese food, but also with Western food and wine.
Another difference from “Kyoka-zuke” is that it can be eaten immediately after defrosting, without the need for cooking. But how did you come up with the idea of “smoking”?
I personally like to drink alcohol, and through trial and error, I came up with the idea of “smoking Saikyo pickles” in order to find a suitable snack.
It seems to go well with a variety of drinks other than sake.
It goes very well with wine. Smoked fish and seafood marinated in miso has a moist texture different from that of saikyo-yaki, and you can enjoy the depth of flavor and aroma of miso in this product.
Branding ingenuity in the “Kyoka Smoked” logo
I heard that “Kyoka Smoked” is also creative in terms of branding.
Although “Kyoka Smoked” is a product using Saikyo pickles, we have created a brand logo that is different from that of “Kyoka Pickles.
So the moment people see the logo, they will know that it is a smoked product.
Of the two colors used in the logo, red represents “fire” and black represents “smoke,” in order to convey the image of smoked products in an easy-to-understand manner. This product can also be delivered as a gift.
How should we preserve the product?
It can be stored in the freezer for one year or refrigerated for three weeks, so it can be defrosted in the refrigerator at any time.
If you think, “I will have dinner at home this evening,” and put it in the refrigerator in the morning, it will be ready to eat that night.
What “Ivy’s House” values in order to protect its brand
Could you talk about the theme of the “Ivy House” brand for you?
Our brand emphasizes creating products with the utmost care and respect for our history, miso (bean paste), cutting techniques, materials, and other traditions that we have cultivated over the past 80 years since 1937. For this reason, many of our customers use our products as gifts, and we are careful to reproduce a sense of quality and specialness once the box is opened. In addition, we have maintained the tradition of handmade products since our establishment, and we try to pay attention to the management and feelings of our creators on a daily basis.
In order to maintain the taste of “Ivy’s House,” it is important to have human hands and hearts that work carefully day in and day out.
Yes, it is. We want to create a satisfying sense of quality and specialness with traditional and carefully selected ingredients. In addition, we would like to challenge new things while preserving the techniques we have used in the past.
I understand that the choice of what to change and what not to change in order to preserve tradition is a major theme for a long-established business. What is “Tsuta-no-ie’s” position on this point?
We would like to maintain the same cutting techniques, miso bed management, temperature control, pickling time, etc. for “Kyoka-zuke” as in the past.
Finally, could you give a message to our readers?
Tsuta-no-ie is located near Yotsuya-Sanchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Line, and offers a wide variety of products that are easy to enjoy at home, such as bento boxes with saikyo pickles. Please visit our store when you are in the neighborhood.
Saikyo pickles are a very popular food on Japanese tables, and many people have probably had them before. However, “Tsuta-no-ye’s” “Kyouka-zuke”, which is made with great care from the making of the miso paste bed to the slicing method and packaging, will surely give us a taste of food pleasure that we have never experienced before.
*If you would like to see this dialogue on video.here (place close to the speaker or where the speaker is)
