Just outside a tiny village deep in the mountains of rural Miyazaki Prefecture lies Kagura no Sato. Determined to stop the outflow of inhabitants from this area, founder Hamasuna-san decided to create a company to both employ local workers and make products that highlight the high quality organic yuzu fruit they grow on the steep hillsides.
Kagura no Sato's team of 40 people grow their own organic yuzu and togarashi (chilis) on a farm totaling 15 hectares (37 acres). Yuzu trees take both patience and hard work. Patience because it takes a yuzu tree 6 or 7 years before it starts to bear fruit, with the first big harvest at about year 10. Kagura no Sato's oldest trees are 50 years old and are of the Mera variety of Hon Yuzu trees. This variety is know for having strong flavor, acidity and aroma, yet less bitterness than other varieties.
Hard work because the slopes are incredibly steep. But the topography actually helps the quality of the fruit, because the steep slopes limit the amount of sunshine the fruit sees (too much sunlight creates bitterness in the fruit). But it also makes the hand harvesting incredibly difficult.
About 20 years ago Kagura no Sato started growing their own organic togarashi (chilis). The variety they grow is known for its very strong spicy flavor. Together with the premium organic yuzu, Kagura no Sato's organic yuzu kosho is one of the best we have tasted.
Beautiful April day visiting Kagura no Sato, deep in Miyazaki Prefecture
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