Nihon Chomiryo Tabi
Noda Shio Firewood-Kiln Sea Salt (薪窯直煮製法 のだ塩)
The story behind it
Seawater from Noda Village in Iwate is simmered down in a firewood-fed kiln for about four days. The method is called makigama jikini, direct boiling over a wood fire, and it leaves the minerals in place for a rounder, softer salt.
Noda Village is said to have been the starting point of the Noda Shio Beko no Michi, the salt road that carried salt inland during the Edo period. Oxen hauled it over the mountains on their backs, and that history is still in the name.
The saltiness has no sharp edge and a faint sweetness. It nudges an ingredient forward rather than covering it.
How to use it
Start with a plain rice ball, salted and nothing else. Use it as dipping salt for tempura or grilled fish, or a pinch on vegetables and fruit, where it brings out their sweetness.