This smoked dried meat is made using pork legs of branded pork which are seasoned with the company’s own blend of spices. The branded pork comes from the “Legendary Shimotsuma Golden Pig,” a breed raised by the company over 60 years with unique method and special feed made from locally-grown feed rice under thorough health management adapted to the growth stage of the pigs. Compared with Sangen pork bred, its lean meat contains about 3 to 4 times more amino acids and the oleic acid contained in its fat is 9% higher, resulting in a meat with sweetness, rich umami flavors and smooth fat texture. The shop “Buu-bu” opened in 2018 with the hope to deliver the delicious pork to a wider people. The smoked dried pork is produced using thinly sliced pork legs, which are marinated in a seasoning made with an original blend of spices for a couple of days, dried and then smoked. The highly fragrant, exquisite spicy flavors of the dried meat is achieved thanks to the blend of “shichimi togarashi,” which is Japan’s seasoning made from a mixture of seven ingredients, German spices and peels of “Fukure” mandarin oranges grown at the foot of Mount Tsukuba. As you take a bite, you first feel a hint of spicy accent, then the rich umami flavor of the pork gradually spreads throughout your mouth. It is delicious as is but the deep flavor of the dried meat can be enjoyed best by using it in soups and chazuke (rice with green tea, broth or hot water poured on it).