Takara Hon Mirin / Takara Shuzo
Takara Hon Mirin" is the No. 1 selling product in the hon mirin market (according to Intage SRI, April 2020 - March 2022). The predecessor of Takara Shuzo began producing mirin around 1864, at the end of the Edo period, and "Glorious" was registered as a trademark for mirin in 1897 (Meiji 30).
Its key feature is that it "contains more than 9 kinds of sugars and 18 kinds of amino acids, which can impart an elegant and mild sweetness and umami flavor to dishes. In addition, according to a person in charge of the seasonings department at Takara Shuzo, "Kyoto, where our headquarters is located, is a place where there are many Japanese-style restaurants and kappo (Japanese-style cooking) establishments. The chefs in Kyoto have endorsed our product, saying that its sweetness is very refined.
Takara Hon Mirin "100% domestic rice" / Takara Shuzo
The "Hon Mirin" lineup currently consists of approximately 50 SKUs (the smallest unit of management) in a variety of containers, including PET, paper cartons, pouches, bottles, bag-in-boxes, and 18L cans. All products for household use are manufactured at the company's own factory in Japan.
Takara Shuzo has long supported mirin for both home and professional use, and the company says, "We have continued to produce mirin by emphasizing the power of rice. Hon Mirin is only for cooking. We emphasize making the most of rice, which is the main ingredient, and extracting the sugars and amino acids that make food delicious," says Takara.
In recent years, the company has been actively promoting its products not only for Japanese cuisine but also for Western cuisine, and "Takara Hon Mirin 'Ameiro no Kokoku'" was launched in 2018 as a product to cultivate such a market.
The company is also considering holding the "Takara Recipe Contest," a contest for recipes using Hon Mirin and sake for cooking, which has been held since 2020. Takara Shuzo hopes that the contest and other information it disseminates will encourage people to actually cook and experience the appeal of Hon Mirin," said a Takara Shuzo representative.