Together with Hoshinoya Taketomi Island , mitosaya has produced "KUNUSHINA," a distilled liquor made from "nuchigusa" (a medicinal herb) harvested on Taketomi Island.
We will introduce the story of how KUNUSHINA was born.
In March 2024, we were invited by Hoshinoya Taketomi Island to visit Taketomi Island for the first time. Just a 10-minute boat ride from Ishigaki Island, this small island nurtured by coral reefs welcomed us with red deigo flowers in full bloom.
The circumference of the island is about 9.2 km. It's a small island that can be walked around in about an hour, and I met an old man who has been cultivating medicinal herbs for many years, as well as a man who, as a child, used to make distilled spirits at a communal distillery whose remains remain on the island.
As we listen to them talk about the island's history and culture, we touch the medicinal herbs we find all over the island, sampling their aromas and flavors.
What I saw were plants that had grown to amazing sizes and fruits I had never seen before. Even the smallest bushes offered new discoveries, and the nature that spread across the island felt like a treasure. The red fruits of the Peony Tree and the pea palm (island pepper) that decorated the stone walls and hedges.
Furthermore, on the grounds of Hoshinoya Taketomi Island, a traditional medicinal herb called "Nuchigusa" (grass of life) is carefully cultivated, giving us a sense of the history of the island's people living in harmony with nature.
After the trip, we received a number of medicinal herbs from Taketomi Island.
Peony flower
Shell ginger (Western mugwort)
Hamamachi (Ryukyu mugwort)
Guava Kumikumushi Long Pepper
The warmth of the island's people, fascinating stories and natural beauty, along with the powerful aromas, gave us ideas for new distilled spirits.
Medicinal herbs into distilled spirits <br data-mce-fragment="1">The new alcoholic beverage is made by combining tankan citrus from Yomitan Village and brown sugar from Hateruma Island with medicinal herbs from Taketomi Island. The sweet and sour liquid is fermented with alcohol while extracting the herbal ingredients, and is then carefully distilled multiple times.
The clear liquid produced in this way releases a deep, aromatic scent of medicinal herbs when put in the mouth.
"KUNUSHINA"
The completed distilled liquor was named "KUNUSHINA." It was inspired by the nine kinds of life-giving herbs "Kunushinahisuru" that have traditionally been cultivated on the island. This liquor, which combines the nature of Taketomi Island, the wisdom of the islanders, and mitosaya's technology, is a special bottle that symbolizes Taketomi Island.
The bottle is adorned with label art by Okinawa-based artist Sai Yuki , creating a bottle that is packed with the charm of Taketomi Island.
You can enjoy this "KUNUSHINA" at Hoshinoya Taketomi Island's dinner course "Island Terroir". This year, "Island Terroir", which combines the island's food culture with French cuisine, has been further developed with the addition of distilled spirits. It will not be sold at mitosaya, so we hope you will visit Taketomi Island and enjoy a glass of it while surrounded by the island's nature.
■Hoshinoya Taketomi Island Address: 1955 Taketomi, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture, 907-1101
Phone: 050-3134-8091 (Hoshinoya General Reservations)
URL: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyataketomijima/
Reference: "Herbs of the Southern Islands of Okinawa Yaeyama" by Yoko Takanishi (Nanzansha)
