One day in early winter 2022, while researching crowdfunding, I came across a project to make yubeshi in an old folk house and decided to participate.
The location was Fujino, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, just before Yamanashi Prefecture. It's a popular spot for artists and foreigners who appreciate the charm of old Japan.
For me, it's a village at the foot of the mountains that I access when hiking, but to the general public, it might be more famous for the "Love Letter" visible from the Chuo Expressway.
So, we went to a magnificent old folk house, said to be 200 or 300 years old.
As someone who loves Japanese houses and has a soft spot for traditional building methods, I was already excited.
Now, this part of Kanagawa Prefecture, with the next valley over the mountain being Yamanashi Prefecture, must have been within the territory of the Takeda clan.
First, we headed to a steep yuzu field for harvesting.
Just like the kumquats growing in the field, the thorns on these yuzu branches are dangerous.
Oranges, lemons, grapefruits... the fruits we casually enjoy must be the result of a lot of hard work, harvested from thorny plants.
Cut off the top and remove the pulp.
Then, prepare various ingredients. They were quite an elaborate assortment.
Mix with Hatcho miso.
And fill them.
After that, put on the lid, steam them in a bamboo steamer, and then air-dry and mature them for two months.
They occupied the clothesline for a while. The miso color seeped out, and the yuzu skin turned black.
Then, slice the finished product and eat it!
It's delicious. While it's said to be a good snack with alcohol, for our family, it's mainly a side dish for breakfast, and sometimes we pour hot water over it to make ochazuke.
I had always thought of yubeshi as a Japanese confection, but this Hatcho miso-based version is perfectly suited for meals.
I haven't researched why the same word "yubeshi" refers to different things, but now when I hear "yubeshi," I think of this preserved food made with yuzu and miso.
When I looked into it, I found out that it's actually manufactured and sold at a brewery near my parents' home in Mie Prefecture.
What's more, the name of the brewery is my mother's maiden name, and the yuzu used as an ingredient comes from my father's hometown, which felt like a strange connection.
I had no idea such a thing existed in my hometown. When I asked, my mother apparently used to make it herself, but I never saw it. I probably wasn't interested back then.
Perhaps because he participated in the event, my son has been eating it from the start. Now, it seems to be one of his favorite foods.
Such was the story of last winter.
Apparently, our neighbors gave us a large amount of yuzu.
Even though they were small yuzu, my wife, who didn't participate last year, tried her best to make it in her own way.
Last year, it was gone quickly, but this year we've been able to enjoy it longer.
(It's not quite good enough to sell in a shop... but it's just for us to enjoy at home)