Kaneishi Noto Squid Ishiri Fish Sauce (カネイシ 能登のイカ魚醤 いしり)

The story behind it

Shottsuru from Akita, ikanago shoyu from Kagawa, and ishiri from Noto. Ishiri, one of Japan's three great fish sauces, is a fermented squid seasoning carried on in the far reaches of the Noto peninsula.

Ogi in Noto Town is a squid-fishing port. Kaneishi, based there, mashes only squid viscera from the waters off Noto with salt, then ferments and ages it for over 2 years through the local seasons. The batch is started in the coldest part of winter and stirred again and again while it slowly turns to liquid. Time is the only thing that can make it.

The aroma is milder than you would expect and the savor startlingly deep. In Noto it is essential to ishiri nabe and to shellfish grilled in their shells, and a few drops as a background note will change the depth of an everyday dish.