Pepper "Snow exposure" at ski resort due to lack of snow Myoko Niigata January 20, 14:58
In Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture, the traditional “snow bleaching” of exposing red peppers to snow has begun, but since there is no snow in the place where work is performed every year, this is done by renting ski courses.
Every year, a local food company starts to match the severe cold season, Daikoshi, in order to make hot peppers, which are used as a raw material for spices transmitted to Myoko City, called Kanzuri.
In the past year, the peppers are exposed on the snow in the rice fields behind the company, but since there is no snow, this was done by renting a ski course about 11 km away.
On the 20th, an employee of a food company brought in about 400 kg of peppers harvested last year, and bright red peppers of about 15 cm in length emerged on pure white snow.
It is said that a red pepper is exposed to snow for about three days, and then it loses its flavor and becomes more mellow. It is said that the spices made by adding koji and yuzu were also favored by Sengoku warlord Kenshin Uesugi.
Akihito Tojo, president of a food company, said, "It would be nice to be able to expose it, because the taste of the apricot changes unless it is exposed to snow."
Snow exposure will continue until late next month, and will be moved from the ski area to another location in the city if snow accumulates.