Leveraging the power of nature Traditional Japanese storage and aging method using snow
A rich gift of nature in the snow country
Snowflakes falling from the sky
One by one they cover the ground
Forest, countryside, and houses covered with white of snow
Snow is a gift from above
Yukimuro is a wisdom of the people from the past
We hope to deliver high-quality products aged in Yukimuro
◆ What is Yukimuro (snow storage)?
A natural refrigerator that brings out the best of food
From olden days in Niigata, a Yukimuro, a hole dug in the ground, filled with snow and then
covered with straw, has been used for the refrigeration of fresh food in the winter.
Thiswisdom in the snow country has been handed down for generations.
Today, it is possible to construct a Yukimuro by storing a large amount of snow in a
building, and this enables the preservation of a large volume of food for extended periods.
Made with snow from the coldest time of the year, a Yukimuro does not melt even after
autumn. The storage space in a Yukimoro is like a Japanese igloo, or Kamakura, in which
a stable "low-temperature, high humidity" condition with the temperature of between 1 to
2 °C and approximately 90% humidity, is maintained. This allows meat to age, bringing outdelicious sweetness and mellowness.
◆ Slow aging of Niigata pork in Yukimuro
Snow Aging Created the world's first aged meat using the Yukimuro storage method
Uoshoku has continued to conduct a study of Niigata pork aging including storage technology and period through years of trial and error, making use of the traditional Yukimuro preservation method of the snow country. The result is Yukimuro Aging Pork, which is snow aged at a stable temperature and humidity in a snow storage. Unlike electric refrigeration with a thermostat, snow aging storage facilities are frost-free and allow agingat a constant temperature and humidity. In meat aged in a Yukimuro, oxygen breaks down fibers. Proteins are also broken down and the content of free amino acid in meat increases, which gives it a rich taste. Try our tender,moist, richly flavored pork.
◆ An ECO method using clean energy that's gentle to earth
A Yukimuro makes use of snow that falls free of charge, which is in itself ecological. The
Yukimuro concept in the age of advanced technology looks into the future for its use.
Snow is clean energy that does not place a burden on the environment. And Yukimuro,
which utilizes snow, advances with the technological development as a refrigeration, air
conditioning, and cooling system that enables the control of temperature and humidity.
Yukimuro not only enables environmental preservation but also leads the way in recovery
measures during disasters. Snow melt from a Yukimuro can also be used as water. The cool
air of Yukimuro is maintained even during a power outage, which enables the storage of a
large volume of fresh food.
Introduction to Yukimuro Aging Pork
◆ Snow Aging Pork from Niigata
Fusion of wonderful food and Yukimuro in Niigata
A combination of high-quality Niigata pork and the region's traditional storage method!
Meat slowly aged in a Yukimuro becomes tender and moist as oxygen breaks down fibers.
Proteins are also broken down to increase the content of free amino acid, which brings out a mellower and richer flavor than ever.
◆ Snow Aging Kogane Buta from Niigata
Created through the encounter of a “master pork breeder,”Akio Takahashi, and a “Yukimuro expert,” Dr. Yoshiomi Ito
Takahashi Farm is the breeder of Niigata's special-breed pork, Koshino Kogane Buta. A
meeting of the company's president Akio Takahashi and Dr. Yoshiomi Ito of Yukidaruma
Foundation resulted in an even more tender and deeper flavor of Koshino Kogane Buta slowly
aged in Yukimuro.