Additive Free, Natural Kombu Tea, 5 Packs

Description

The company Okui Kaiseido has been established in 1871 and is now run by the fourth generation of the Okui family. It is located in Tsuruga, which at that time was one of the main ports involved in trading kombu from Hokkaido to Kyoto and Osaka. Okui Kaiseido has excellent long-terms relations to cultivators of high quality kombu in the northern island of Hokkaido. To make good kombu the freshly harvested kombu has to be sun-dried the same day. The dried kombu then is cut into smaller pieces and folded, so that it can be transported to the Okui warehouse. When the dried kombu arrives at the warehouse is it wrapped in a cloth that protects it from mold and dust, but allows a slow fermentation. The kombu then ages between one and three years to develop the umami, which gives soups and dashi broth a deep aroma. Similar to wine to it requires a lot of expertise and highly controlled conditions to let kombu age and improve over many years. Nowadays there only are few companies left that understand this art. This makes kombu from Okui Kaiseido the product of choice of many famous Japanese chefs.