“Kagura Nanban green pepper oil” is a green chili oil developed by the over 100-year-old hegisoba restaurant “Wataya” located in Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture. This product extracts color and spiciness from the traditional Niigata vegetable “Kagura Nanban,” characterized by its beautiful green color and refreshing spiciness. Kagura Nanban is a green chili pepper that resembles a bell pepper, and it is said to be named because its shape resembles a Kagura mask. Particularly, those produced in Ojiya are thick, juicy, and combine gentle spiciness with umami. The seeds and pith, which are highly pungent, are removed during the manufacturing process, making it safe for those who are not fond of spicy foods. It pairs well with any dish, especially complementing soy sauce-based soups, making it recommended for use in soba and udon broth or as a condiment for chilled tofu. Additionally, its versatility is appealing, as it can be used as a substitute for olive oil in Caprese or salads, or to add color to dishes. The Kagura Nanban used as an ingredient is grown in the Shiotani area of Ojiya City, which suffered significant damage in the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake. Although it was thought that restoring the fields would be difficult due to the earthquake, development began with the desire to “create products with Shiotani’s Kagura Nanban to support the revival and independence of agriculture” and “to create a specialty product of Ojiya to revitalize the town.” Today, it has become one of Ojiya’s proud specialties, and its high quality has been recognized in numerous contests, including the “2020 Seasoning Championship” Spicy Category Grand Prize and the “64th Japan Food Selection” Grand Prix.

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