Details: Located in Niigata prefecture, family business Kanzuri has been specialized in making beautiful spice combinations since 1966. Their trademarked product with the same name, “kanzuri”, is a pepper paste mix with red peppers and yuzu. Due to the severe weather conditions, people were limited in their movements, their access to market places and import items from other prefectures, and the ability to preserve their food. Storing their food under the layers of snow to keep them fresh and lasting longer, in combination with the usage of rice koji (fermented rice and soy beans, used as a kind of yeast), started as a necessary measure, but has over time become a distinct Niigata prefecture- flavor that has been recognized nationally and internationally for its unique flavor.