Why Japanese Kanzuri Chile Paste Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider

[@distortilla]

I love this series because the answer is always, it's handmade and rare.

[@user-re6xt2xf3k]

The answer is about HOW it's handmade and rare.

[@s.a.f.7191]

*made with love* there infixed it for you. In a world where most stuff is machine made 😂.

[@Auzziya]

And Japanese

[@RichardHannay]

Im more impressed how this factory is so damn clean.

[@sambeam2404]

Only cleaned for the camera crew

[@notusneo]

Bro this Japanese factory we are talking ​@@sambeam2404

[@hkpfalldie]

@@sambeam2404go to China and see their factory, they can’t do shit about the cleanliness no matter how many cameras are there

[@kingjames4886]

it has to be pretty clean so the huge vats of paste don't get contaminated.

[@bok..]

They are fermenting something is has to be clean

[@milkdromeda1531]

Also a little history FYI, around 400 years ago during the Warring States period, chili peppers were introduced from Europe and brought into Kyoto and distributed to farmers. They were also carried by the warlord Kenshin Uesugi when he went to war. They’ve been snow bleaching the peppers since then. In Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, where Myoko City is located, people made miso and pickled chili peppers in each household, which they then put into hot pots and soups to help them get through the cold winter.

[@rtqii]

The flesh from hot peppers is as nutritious as meat.

[@satriaamiluhur622]

Ah yes japan, where everything is premium and requires 80 years to master

[@kikinoella9355]

Haha 😂. Honestly

[@jackhaus5238]

I think same mostly bs

[@jackhaus5238]

Tabasco is better

[@jasha9151]

Seriously. Everything 😂

[@thebioray]

chili sauce not from japan : 😐 chili sauce from japan : 🤯😱

[@krayfishj3910]

I have to say, the narrator's voice is really soothing

[@Xtraspecialdeath]

I was just thinking the same thing. I want her to read me a bedtime story

[@Xeonerable]

After a while her voice annoys me I dunno why

[@q_ayyah]

Thank you! 🤗

[@kirawr8064]

Does anyone know her name?

[@ayandey137]

Somehow Japanese people find a way to make cheap stuff expensive and make expensive stuff cheaper (and better actually, for eg:watches)

[@antonhelsgaun]

They still make expensive watches, though

[@neerbon9417]

Seiko NH35 supremacy

[@athiaj1199]

Because they don’t have cheap labor to do the cheap stuff, so it becomes expensive.

[@imjyun]

dam youre right LOL

[@pablotoledourarte6816]

cars!

[@evolancer211]

Oh I think Paolo from Tokyo did a video here, great stuff

[@JoshuaMelara]

He did and he also made his own chili sauce also. 😊

[@bok..]

Love that guy he's great

[@BxBxProductions]

ye nice stuff

[@prasad-d5l]

​@@JoshuaMelarahe has his own brand a d sells it through his channel

[@mynameismaomao]

hard to appreciate the process without ever tasting this product; and perhaps compare against a non- snow bleached version

[@samsr2887]

it appears to be a fancier version of yuzukosho, which can be found in many asian markets worldwide

[@david_r_munson]

For what it's worth, I can get that jar of kanzuri at my grocery for about ¥800, which at the current (worse than usual) exchange rate, is about USD $5. It's really good stuff. Just not sure the $18.90 price tag is fair to use as evidence when the domestic price is so much less. Regardless, if you have the chance to try some, please do. Delicious stuff.

[@realgrilledsushi]

It has been explained in the video at @6:04

[@jacksevert3099]

David isn't a Japanese name. If you know anything about Japanese culture you know how deeply private, insular and xenophobic Japan is so you should really leave. As lover of Japan myself I will never visit out of sheer respect for their culture. Disgusting that more people do the opposite

[@jacksevert3099]

​@@realgrilledsushi pretty sure he's a bot. A David in Japan? As if.

[@werewer54]

It's expensive internationally because the demand isn't high enough to properly take advantage of economies of scale.

[@creditcard3466]

@@jacksevert3099 So everyone who lives in japan is asian? I think the bot is on you pal!

[@bakerkawesa]

I'm sure they can invent a machine to replicate the conditions if the snow fails.

[@charcoalanderson8010]

If the snow fails do you think it might also effect the lives of the animals in the area and the livelihoods of the people who also live and work there? There's not a machine for that. The solution is to stop climate change so the snow, heat, and other weather remains where it's supposed to be.

[@bakerkawesa]

@@charcoalanderson8010 I fully agree. That said, we're running late on climate change. We should have taken serious measures to stop it many years ago.

[@30763076]

@@bakerkawesa There was a paper released back in like 1904 of scientists warning about climate change seeing the effect Coal alone had. We sadly are ruled by idiots with money and dying by them.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

those chilis have six months of pickling time during which they can be transported to a snowy location. they're just trying to keep it local to preserve official authenticity. the conditions would however not be suitable for artificial imitation, as the leeching of salt may depend somewhat on having the daily temperature cycle, and the titular bleaching is done by UV light, which would be energy-intensive to recreate, and the creation of which (probably by mercury vapor lamps) would inadvertently also produce heat that would need to be compensated by more cooling. combining the salt-leeching function of distilled water with freezing temperatures and strong sunlight exposure really makes for some interesting unique food processing conditions.

[@mightheal]

@@charcoalanderson8010 All they need to do is build a freezer warehouse that they can fill with artificial snow to perform the bleaching process. The advantage of doing this instead of doing it outside means they can bleach all year long instead of just the winter months.

[@Dodgybackjack]

I loved the mispronunciation of snow!! Really made me smile

[@draken1991]

Snaw

[@jthomp72]

Paolo from Tokyo has already got a hot sauce from this stuff and it’s amazing. Get it.

[@ep3302]

I bet if you had a hundred people try this blindly with multiple samples without snow and one with this snow, everybody would just be wild guessing which one hung out in the snow.

[@Know_Your_Enemy]

Cool story bro

[@aaronp6292]

I ordered a bottle which arrived today, and I'm excited to try it.

[@AleksHQ]

My cheap tastebuds can only taste if it's spicy or not.

[@BigboiiTone]

I could not care less about the vapid consumerism. I watch these because I love cuisine, I love regional food production and i LOVE foods that have tradition behind them!

[@penngwinn]

I've never heard of this chile paste before, but now I'm dying to try it!

[@milkdromeda1531]

A little more clarification for those wondering about the process of Yuki Sarashi, or snow bleaching: The chili peppers are salted 🧂beforehand and are exposed for 3 - 4 days in the snow ❄️, AND in the SUN ☀️. The salt slowly breaks down the pepper, the peppers are then covered in snow and exposed in the sun, the sun slowly melts the snow, the snow acts as a delicate absorbent, only absorbing a little at a time, and helps naturally remove (or I guess you could say, slowly washes away) the raw bitterness and harshness of the peppers and makes the flavor more pleasant. The fibers also become softer, making them easier to process. This is why this natural process is very vital to making the final product taste better. All in all, this process takes away all the stuff you don’t want, while leaving all the things you do want intact - naturally! EDIT: If you live in a cold snowy place, this is sometimes just more economical than buying and operating freezers.

[@jamie4871]

... Paolo from tokyo ...

[@svr2560]

It's crazy that was the first thought I had when I read the title.

[@arnolddumm]

I had the same thought.

[@Jomaro7]

saw this first from Paolo From Tokyo channel

[@anothertarnishedone5960]

You can do the same with shaved ice, and probably the long fermentation process has way more impact in the final result than the "snow-bleaching".

[@thenerdnetwork]

I think the snow bleaching is a gimmick just to justify the higher cost. I am pretty sure people would pay even more if they used the tears of a thousand infants to salt the peppers as another gimmick.

[@bcatbb2896]

Ya same I’m thinking the same thing This process can easily be replicated at a warehouse with a open ceiling

[@changrenyong7616]

I bet if they make a batch without going through this "snow bleaching" process, they won't be able to taste the difference. This snow bleaching step appears to be a way to make the product more exclusive - that is, more costly to the consumers - without adding any benefit to the product.

[@wamken619]

Yeah, I'm a sucker of old traditions in crafts, but when it makes sense today. Instead of finding the right snowy field, why don't they just pack the chillies with grounded/shaved ice into containers and then throw them into industry-sized freezers? If times and climate are changing, why can't their business?

[@changrenyong7616]

@@wamken619 But putting peppers in commercial freezer filled with shaved ice does not help sell their story. They might even say that the gentle winter sun from January through March, and the northeasterly wind blowing at 6 MPH also helps accentuate the taste of Kanzuri.

[@wamken619]

@changrenyong7616 lmao, they totally would say those reasons just to maintain their expensive prices and scarcity. Also, is it just me or does "snow-bleaching" sound like a euphemism mild freezer burn?

[@NoLandMandi]

Thank you! you saved me lots of typing 😛. Also, they could cover the ground with plastic (maybe stainless steel for more umami 😂 ) so the bloody chili wouldn't get contaminated!!!)

[@WeebWeeabo69]

Like every other japanese tech

[@Scaevola9449]

The snow-bleaching can be easily replicated with modern technology, they refuse to maintain exclusivity and premium prices.

[@RosencrantzJr]

Paolo from Tokyo viewer right here!

[@melodyparra2960]

What does the snow actually do to the peppers and taste other than freeze them

[@nnkk7742]

Video said it leached off some of the pickle brine.

[@Puddingskin01]

@@nnkk7742 So, fancy water.

[@TEAMMAURICE]

The Japanese always find a way to make simple things complicated and more expensive

[@80sidd]

They had a lot of time to waste in the past…now it’s called traditional 😅

[@jkjy6471]

yea i was fkn wondering what makes it so exp, and it takes years to make the product, i think the snow bleaching doesnt even dent the taste, its just extra bs

[@jkjy6471]

yuzu milds the flavor so much notwithstanding the rice and the fermentation process that takes so long lmao the chef was like oh its different, fck sake of course its different

[@profile1565]

It’s all bs just like most of Japan. All copied from china or the west but they package it with nonsense like kanzuri. Fking snow? Lmao. They salt it and dump it in snow and it milds the flavor. Jesus Christ. Don’t make me laugh.

[@jackiec860]

go, Paolo! Paolo from Tokyo spreading awareness for the region and boosting sales!!! Woooooooo

[@WelfareChrist]

The soundtrack to this video is very reminiscent of Miyazaki films, which feels like we’re heading in the right direction.

[@huntakilla1234]

Thing:😒🥱 Japanese thing: 🤑🤩😱

[@bok..]

Loool

[@mintmint-8764]

Oh no, Paolo's hot chili sauce is in danger ! 😢

[@anonymousanon5390]

fr

[@ww-pw6di]

They should build a factory in Finland. We had like 6 months of knee deep snow.

[@thehangmansdaughter1120]

I have tried this chilli paste and it's amazing! I don't normally go in for spicy food, but this stuff has so much savory flavour going on it was worth the heat.

[@kth6]

Japanese chillis are spicy?

[@CharliMorganMusic]

Maybe I'm missing something, but snow is just water, and they could out it in a freezer with artificial snow.

[@Imago27292]

I think you're missing the point. This is the traditional way of making this condiment.

[@patrick-bu3eq]

the point is not take make it as fast and cheaply or efficient as possible... How you keep things expensive and special... Basically how they keep occupations worthwhile.

[@antonhelsgaun]

​@@Kenny-yl9pc someone really let you cook. It's not rediculous or ignorant to suggest using a freezer to make/store snow. And driving into the mountains and renting a ski slope also isn't cheap

[@mightheal]

@@Kenny-yl9pc The advantage though is that they can continue bleaching all year instead of just during the winter time so they would make up the costs by producing more.

[@gastonbell108]

$$$$$

[@Alesster101]

I’m not sold on this snow bleaching step. It’s just frozen water that makes the peppers soggy afterwards.

[@jackdawminuet]

I don’t think it melts, they only work during winter in that province which looks pretty cold. They’ve been doing it so long, it’s probably safe to assume sogginess has little to no negative impact.

[@Dawn_Raider]

Me neither, it sounds like something that worked in the past and he is just afraid to change it because “that’s how his father and grandfather made it.”

[@SaschaEderer]

"A little more clarification for those wondering about the process of Yuki Sarashi, or snow bleaching: The chili peppers are salted beforehand and are exposed for 3 - 4 days in the snow , AND in the SUN . The salt slowly breaks down the pepper, the peppers are then covered in snow and exposed in the sun, the sun slowly melts the snow, the snow acts as a delicate absorbent, only absorbing a little at a time, and helps naturally remove (or I guess you could say, slowly washes away) the raw bitterness and harshness of the peppers and makes the flavor more pleasant. The fibers also become softer, making them easier to process. This is why this natural process is very vital to making the final product taste better. All in all, this process takes away all the stuff you don’t want, while leaving all the things you do want intact - naturally!"

[@neinei5718]

The ozone generated when snow melts sterilizes, deodorizes, bleaches, and decomposes the components of chili peppers. Since ancient times, deep snow regions in Japan have used this action to bleach cloth and process preserved foods such as Freeze-dried tofu and "KANTEN" agar. As you can find out, agar and cloths lose their color remarkably when they are bleached by snow.

[@johnweeks3105]

I guess you're not their target audience.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

well, if the stuff is good, it would be very easy to imitate elsewhere. particularly because the growing location and the snow-bleaching location don't need to be close to each other at all, as the chili peppers have half a year of pickling time during which they could be transported. it's not like the whole world is running out of winter time snow-pack entirely yet.

[@sonshinethomas7986]

If its cold enough can they use a snow machine?

[@MightyRoy]

If it's near the ski sleds, there's got PFOA's in the snow, might end up in the chili sauce. Actually the snow bleaching step could be a redundant step, washing in cold water will do the same trick.

[@darkerrave]

hmm.. never heard of it until today!

[@peterlindner3283]

Couldn't they make "snow" like sno-cones and place them in a temperature controlled refrigerator?

[@antonhelsgaun]

Yes

[@cjsutton05]

"Traditional methods". Japanese culture is generally not so easy to discard traditions, compared to western culture.

[@ssff2544]

Props to the narrator’s correct native pronunciation of Japanese ❤

[@brianguerr01]

Paolo from tokyo viewer here !!

[@Sad_But_True17]

Never eat yellow kazuri. 🌶️ 👀

[@altair4849]

outdoor freezer, fill it with snow shaved ice, replace the lid w/either a sunroof glass or install grow lights on a timer

[@mileswebb3684]

I see Japanese craftsmanship, I click

[@zukacs]

They should use the 20$ salt that you showed in the other video, imagine the flavor then 😂

[@anonymousanon5390]

LMAO

[@happytimes10191]

Why not try first using artificial ice/snow to see if it can be viable?

[@mojhivlog]

How is the snow affecting the taste of chili peppers? It’s just frozen water and dirt. They don’t even ferment it in snow. And after fermentation for a few years, I don’t think you can taste any snow

[@charcoalanderson8010]

From the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry. and Fisheries: "Chili peppers that have been exposed to the snow lose their bitterness and have more umami flavor.." Do you also ask how could weather conditions possibly effect things like wine. It's just air, water, earth, and sun!!! (FYI: it affects the grapes final color, acidity, and sweetness.)

[@kimjong-un5074]

What is that question?!

[@antonhelsgaun]

​@@kimjong-un5074it's the most interesting part of the process, and one they don't answer in the video

[@mightheal]

@@antonhelsgaun They did say you obviously didn't watch it. Besides the temperature affecting flavour the snow washes off some of the salt on the peppers.

[@antonhelsgaun]

@@mightheal which is an incredibly vague answer. That's like asking why you bake potatoes and the answer being "the temperature affects the potatoes"

[@cameronhermann9400]

I hope the snow doesn’t become a bigger problem for them in the future

[@CHEVYCAMARO4GEN]

Snow helps the cells in the pepper break down and better to ferment if you don’t im sure it would take more time to get the quality of fermentation

[@KittyNinjas]

No worries! Bring those chilli's to Alberta, Canada. Tons of snow here! And lands are cheap. Open factory here with bots! Labour cost is offset by logistics cost. Made in Canada awaits ya!

[@surft]

You can create artificial snow nowadays and mirror the exact conditions. They are probably just doing this to justifiy the price. It 's also a small market.

[@PWCDN]

exactly. I think they're doing it to justify the story of the product, which dictates the price and the excessive labor somehow makes it more luxurious. Story selling for a product annoys me because the product should speak for itself, I shouldn't have to know its "snow aged". If you didn't know the story, doubt anyone would pay 2x or 3x more for chili paste. And if you're romanticised by the story, you'll convince yourself it tastes better. Usually if you have an exceptional product, you wouldn't tell people how its made. When they let you know, they're selling the story.

[@floptime]

Dude drove to a ski resort with excuse to show off his cool snowmobile lol I'm not convinced that step was necessary

[@OGWimoTapia]

This video is gonna make this paste even more expensive and imposible to get

[@Magnificent86]

Yup! Lemme go get a bottle real quick!

[@anothertarnishedone5960]

Nah is pure pretentiousness. You can get the same result with shaved ice, but is not "traditional", hence you can´t raise the price to absurd levels.

[@OGWimoTapia]

For some reason my brain just started doing this math. And i feel like still gonna add up to the price even if it is some change. At least since my comment I’ve seen the demand on the paste is not that intense since like you said, you can technically get the same results with shaved ice which means you can do it at home if you wanted and is way better. But if the demand were to go up, this method you mention still sounds expensive to operate on a larger scale like a factory. Meaning that’s gonna add up a little to the price.

[@kirkcheng7178]

Didn't know you could also spell chili as chile

[@NativeAsElizabethWarren]

You can’t. One is a plant and one is a country in South America.

[@alexissandoval1284]

@@NativeAsElizabethWarren Wrong. Chile is a common spelling of the peppers in Spanish countries. "Chili" is simply the most used spelling to English populations and thus leads to people thinking it is the only correct way, when Chile is just as relevant in reality.

[@tuzicomet]

​@@NativeAsElizabethWarrenthe same word can be used for both. The chile spelling is used in spanish areas, specifically for the pepper. Not very common, especially in places like america but still considered valid.

[@OOOOO0KKKKKKKK]

@@NativeAsElizabethWarren maybe in english you can't but in spanish you spell chili as chile

[@svelemoe]

@@alexissandoval1284 Is japan a spanish country?

[@adityavikram83]

How does it compare to Tabasco sauce taste wise?

[@AhmetIsil-in3cy]

Seeing a legend like Finch backing 4ra makes me trust their bets and games even more, man. Solid choice! 👌💸

[@Bullminator]

Lol...just use the snow machine people use for skiing. Jp should have those.

[@francisatienza232]

what is the breed of the chilllies used?

[@TanerTuba]

Watched the last matches and bet on 4RA, it was so much fun, now I'm excited for the World Cup T20 😁🎊

[@jianasalas4110]

@paolofromtokyo loving how you do your sauce!

[@schizo8923]

Can you imagine getting hit by a snowball after they leave the ski resort? "Aaaaagh! My Eyeeees!!!"

[@sixthousandblankets]

Didn't somebody already invented a refrigerator.

[@BigboiiTone]

And the 3 year ferment is really nothing that out of the ordinady. Many of your favourite products are aged as much if not longer. For example, worscetishire sauce ferments for years in the infamous "goop vats" and many wines and spirits are aged in barrels for years, even decades in rare circumstances.

[@lqfr8813]

if you cant stand red chilli peppers spiciness, you can try green chilli peppers, they are young red chilli peppers that already harvested for lower level of sting spicy bite allowing us to taste the chilli mildly. in my country many cuisine using this because its less spicy and more manageable on how spicy a cooking must be

[@Orangejuiceee15]

Id prefer a price hike up for the process, rather than just for the name of a brand there are a lot of companies who hike up their price just because theyre a well known brand😵

[@Aman-gk1cb]

Sambel korek campur keringat juga unik rasanya, tidak semua orang di dunia tau rasanya

[@y0kozuna]

Every chily sauce in southeast asia would probably beat this in term of taste

[@joannhoppel8460]

So many more things will suffer extinction. However, we humans are quite resilient and intelligent.

[@akinigiri]

Kanzuri is amazing!

[@garethjones909]

Bleaching? Its called freezing. Nice to see the Japanese learning new things

[@Asian1626]

This is the first time seen, chile in snow 😃 , what an idea, it's wonderful and amazing, Japanese are different people in Asia continent. In the world how many types of chile are there and it's uses, make a video if it's possible, thank you🙏.

[@siddharthaghosh6136]

If it's made in Japan, it's entitled to be expensive, even if it's not worthy to be so

[@じゅげむちょうすけ-c9u]

外国メディアは日本のメディアよりも日本の文化や産業について有益な情報を発信しているような気がする。

[@itsdav5574]

it sounds reasonable that it would only be so expensive when exported....lol

[@bloodlove93]

like everything, in places like Thailand you can get fresh lobster for a few usd, lots of tropical regions you can get massive bags of various fresh fruit for several usd ,yes in America those would cost a hundred plus per bag.

[@mrlee9213]

I feel like I need to get into the snow beaching biznis

[@888SpinR]

Is Chile named such because it looks like chile?

[@holgerx541]

Why is it called bleaching? Isn't it just regular deep freezing?

[@PWCDN]

they literally can just toss it in shaved ice (like bingsu consistency) and leave it in a freezer. They're just making a story to sell chili paste. If it was that much better, they wouldn't share the trade secret of "snow bleaching"

[@dactorjones2430]

They do know snow is just frozen water right? Could def just get like a freezer and water

[@Emmerificoo]

Is this literally the footage from the Paolo from Tokyo episode? lol

[@necrogenesis1981]

Snow is just frozen water, there’s no reason they absolutely have to use real snow.

[@Xeonerable]

The whole part with the snow seems like its unnecessary.

[@jamm8284]

That one wearing snow boots while the other is in normal shoes to compact the snow... Work smarter, not harder 👌🤣 They have that, probably, £10000+ snowmobile. Buy the poor person some snow boots or skies or something 😂

[@profile1565]

It adds to the extra special Japanese traditional flavor 😂😂

[@Dawn_Raider]

Hokkaido be like: I heard y’all need snow?

[@viktorbergstrom4700]

where do we buy it?

[@alphaTrader.oo1]

No wonder the snow taste spicy

[@lawrencengu9505]

The price is set by the will of the seller. The amount of product and Market demand "may" also influence the Price.

[@lovemie5873]

Can the process replace by the shaved ice?

[@SuperAdnan117]

Thats what i was thinking, just shaved ice then pack as much as required in pallets and throw the whole thing into a walk in freezer for however long it needs to be bleached. I imagine the most influential part of the flavour is the aging process as even mass producers like tabasco cannot skip this step. The group of families that cut down the ingredient list did the first part of ensuring this stuff can be mass produced so why not go the extra step and fully optimise it ?

[@PuReWiReZ]

They should just get some ice block makers and snowcone machines.

[@alexanderfaiz7681]

basically everything in Japan is premium.

[@oyi21]

So what is it? 4 or 5 ?

[@aspiring...]

What is snow bleaching?

[@somelad346]

A gimmick to sell the paste at a higher price lol

[@DuyNguyen-lo2mm]

I hope all those forever plastic chem doesn't leak into those chili sauce after 6years.

[@adamchurvis1]

Yeah, that price is pretty cheap for what it takes to make it right. Espelette pepper is about half that in the US, and there's no real substitute for that, either.

[@aaroncox2562]

Why not just buy a snow maker if its thats important to the process

[@SikanderG]

How does snow bleaching affect the taste? It seems false but I'm not sure.

[@PWCDN]

a lot of it is selling the story more than anything. if it actual made a difference, he'd buy a snowmaker and mass produce this stuff in a temp controlled warehouse. Some people like to "add a twist" to their product to differentiate from the rest, imo this is that example. Quite honestly I'm not sold. It's like that black onsen egg, if you want to believe it tastes better, you'll convince yourself but 95% of the population says it tastes like a normal boiled egg.

[@marcinwkurw3185]

I have the impression that everything from Japan is expensive as hell xD

[@AimForgotten]

I wonder if you could theoretically just make your own snow using like ice shaver like snow couldn’t you replicate it in doors that way?

[@Cuminhole]

Guys if you don't agree with the price you can use applied economic, low supplies and high demand

[@Catladybug]

There probably have to invest in snoe machines or indoor greenhouse to simulate snow

[@rudrafel]

Oh the exact company who made hot sauce for paolo from tokyo channel