Rishiri Kombu Trimmings - Value Pack (100g) ★Focusing on High-Quality Kombu, Preserving the Craftsmanship of Artisans★

Kuragoi Kombu is aged in cellars where humidity and temperature are carefully controlled.
High-quality natural Rishiri kelp is further aged in our cellars for one to two years.

Only the finest kelp truly benefits from extended aging.
Kelp of lesser quality will not yield satisfactory results even when aged for years.

Our Kuragoi technique removes the sea-like odor and sliminess, deepening the umami.

The producer is Okui Kaiseido, a long-established kelp merchant with over 120 years of tradition and history.
We are committed to using high-quality natural kelp, preserving traditional handcrafting methods, and passing down the skills of our artisans in kelp processing.

Its flavor is highly praised in vegetarian dishes served at temples, including the Grand Head Temple Eiheiji, as well as by high-end restaurants and gourmets worldwide.

About Kuragoi Kombu:
Representative harvesting grounds for Rishiri kelp include Kutsugatahama on Rishiri Island, the northernmost part of Hokkaido, and Kafukahama and Funatomi-hama on Rebun Island.
These areas are blessed with all the natural conditions essential for kelp cultivation, such as ocean currents, water temperature, sunlight, river conditions, the mountains rising behind them, and ample space for drying kelp.

Historically, kelp harvested in Hokkaido was landed at Tsuruga Port in Fukui Prefecture and transported to cities.
Kuragoi Kombu can be said to have been naturally born from the climate conditions of Fukui Prefecture, an area with heavy snowfall, during the ancient distribution of kelp.

After harvesting, kelp is dried in the sun, its ends are trimmed, and it is shaped for transport.
New kelp harvested in the summer arrives at Tsuruga in late autumn, just as snow is about to fall. In the Hokuriku region, with its heavy winter snowfall, transportation was impossible during winter. Therefore, kelp landed at Tsuruga often overwintered in cellars and was shipped in spring.
It became known that during the winter, as the kelp rested in the cellars, the harshness and impurities of new kelp disappeared, and the kelp's natural umami became more pronounced.
This is said to be the origin of Kuragoi Kombu.

However, as transportation improved over time and winter transport became possible, the Kuragoi method began to decline.
Considering the cost of maintaining kelp cellars, the significant financial burden of holding kelp in inventory, and the labor involved in managing kelp for extended periods, holding expensive kelp as inventory carried considerable risk.
Depending on weather conditions, mold could develop, rendering the product worthless.
For these reasons, Kuragoi is no longer practiced.