"Smoking" became popular a while ago and seems to have become accepted by the general public. In addition to eating it, smoking it yourself has become a popular hobby, and many kits for this purpose are available for sale. However, when people hear the word "smoking," they probably imagine "warm smoking." The method used by the smoked food specialty store "Kumoya Minami Tokuyoshi Taro Shoten" (hereinafter "Minami Tokuyoshi Taro Shoten") in Yoichi is not limited to hot smoking. Let's take a look at what it's all about. To begin with, regular smoking refers to hot smoking, where ingredients are smoked at high temperatures of 60-80℃. However, Minami Tomoyo Taro Shoten uses a method called cold smoking. Because the ingredients are smoked slowly at a low temperature of around 20℃, it is possible to remove moisture while preventing fat from coming out, and it is said that the flavor is tightly locked in. Minami Tokuyoshi Taro Shoten was founded in 1948. The first owner, Minami Tokuyoshi Taro, learned cold smoking from the indigenous people of Sakhalin, and he continues to follow this tradition even now in his third generation.

(Photo provided by: Minamisho Taro Shoten)

You may think, "If it's that delicious, everyone should adopt cold smoking." However, it's not that easy, which is why cold smoking is such a valuable method. Temperature control is important, and in warm areas of Japan, other than snowy regions like Hokkaido, it is basically only suitable for winter. Moreover, it takes as little as one week, or as long as three months, so it requires a certain amount of equipment. After smoking, Minami Tomoyo Taro Shoten also has a process of hanging it from the ceiling of the workshop to dry. This allows it to mature and the flavor to become more concentrated. When we asked the third-generation owner, Noriyuki Minami, about his recommended cold-smoked products, he said that fish such as Atka mackerel, herring, and salmon are recommended, as they are typical of Hokkaido. The rich flavor and rich taste that can only be achieved by cold smoking will surely become addictive once you try them. By the way, they also do hot smoking, and I was told that the most popular item is smoked sweet shrimp. They smoke shrimp caught between April and the end of November on the same day. Fresh and beautifully-looking smoked sweet shrimp would be a hit as a snack or as a treat for children. In addition, there are many other smoked foods that you rarely see elsewhere, such as smoked nuts and vegetables! Combined with the smoky aroma wafting from the workshop at the back of the store, you will inevitably end up buying a variety of different foods before you know it. Once you try it, you might want to visit Yoichi just to buy their smoked products. The unique aroma that fills your nose is sure to become addictive. Smoked food shop Minami Tokutaro Shoten Address: 88 Minatocho, Yoichi-cho, Yoichi-gun, Hokkaido Phone: 0135-22-2744 Official site: https://nptomedon.com/