Journal

地域に根ざした酒造り。福田酒造株式会社は1688年創業の日本最西端の酒蔵です。「酒づくりは、心でつくり、風が育てる。」との創業者が残した言葉の通り、潮風がこの福田酒造の酒をより特徴深いものにしています。
日本酒が美味しいは当たり前。個性ある唯一無二の酒造りを掲げ、地元の農家さんの力を借り米作りから行い、蔵の目の前に広がる海のとの関連を調べるため、大学と連携し採取した海水を研究するなど、平戸の風土とミクロレベルで向き合い、挑戦し続けるここにしかない酒蔵です。
Kikka Hiradoでは、「福鶴」「長崎美人」、また本格じゃがいも焼酎「じゃがたらお春」もお食事に合わせて提案させていただきます。海の力が醸し織りなす味わいをお楽しみください。

Fukuda Brewery is a longstanding fixture of Hirado, established in 1688 as Japan’s westernmost sake brewery. The words of its founder, treasured to this day, point to the ocean breezes as infusing Fukuda sake with its distinctive taste: “Sake is made from the heart and nourished in the breeze.”
It goes without saying that any well-crafted Japanese sake is delicious. Fukuda Brewery, however, is unique in that it not only works with the local rice farmers to grow the perfect brewing grain, but also with universities to study the effects of its seaside location on the sake it makes by taking steps such as sampling and researching the ocean waters in an effort to understand the climate of Hirado on a micro level to continually break new ground.
Kikka Hirado proudly offers Fukutsuru and Nagasaki Beauty sake as culinary accompaniments to its guests, along with Jagatara Oharu honkaku-grade sweet potato shochu. Drink in the power of the ocean breezes mingling in every sip of these exceptional local brews.

8トンの海水を平釜でじっくり煮詰めて取り出した完全無添加手作りの塩を作る長崎慈眼堂。地球と月と太陽の引力が塩作りに大きく左右するため、原料となる海水は満月の夜に採取し昔ながらの釜焚き製法で製造しています。Kikka Hiradoでは、苦みが少なくまろやかで繊細な旨味を持つ塩を使いお食事を提供させていただきます。
薪の音がパチパチと響き、海水の蒸気が立ち込める窯場。手製のスコップで揚げた塩を休ませ、ふるいにかける工程により味がどんどんと変化していきます。釜入れされ煮詰めた海水は、8日目には塩の花と呼ばれる結晶が釜一面に現れます。これがなんとも美しく、意思があるように形を作っていくのを見るのは何年やっていても感動する瞬間だと夫妻は話します。
全国にファンも多い平戸の塩を味わってみてください。平戸旅のお土産にもおすすめです。

Nagasaki Jigendo slowly simmers eight tons of seawater in their kettles to create 100% pure handcrafted salts. Since the gravitational pull of the sun, moon, and Earth has a great influence on salt production, ocean water, collected on the night of the full moon, is used to make salt and heated in kettles using traditional production methods. Kikka Hirado proudly serves Nagasaki Jigendo salt, renowned for its mild, clean taste with delicate umami notes and virtually no bitterness.
The crackling sound of firewood echoes through the boiling area as ocean water steam rises from the kettles. Handcrafted scoops are used to set the salt out for curing, spread across screens that cause the flavor to steadily transform. The seawater boiling in the kettles starts to crystallize on the surface in shio no hana, or “salt flowers”, on the eighth day. The husband-and-wife team who run the operation say that this deliberate formation is such a beautiful moment that they’re still moved by it even after so many years.
Discover the exquisite taste of Nagasaki Jigendo salt and see why it is sought-after by people throughout Japan. Better yet, bring some back with you as a souvenir to share with family and friends.