Photo Journal: Chilly chilies
(Mainichi Japan)
Two employees of spice maker Kanzuri Co. cover fresh white snow with red chili peppers in an annual ritual called "yuki-sarashi" (snow drying) in Myoko, Niigata Prefecture, on Jan. 20, 2018. The chili peppers are harvested locally from summer to fall the previous year and are salted before being scattered over the silvery snowscape. The peppers spend three to four days on the snow, which is said to absorb their bitterness and bring out their savory flavor. By the end of February, the staff will lay out a total of 10 metric tons of peppers that then spend around three years fermenting with yuzu citrus, rice malt, and other ingredients to create the special local condiment "kanzuri." (Mainichi)
