THE LYCOPINS, TOMATO PONZU

February 27, 2023

Ever wanted to know how the famous The Lycopins Tomato Ponzu aka, 'Tommy P', is made? Keep reading to find out! 

Tomato Ponzu

The tomato ponzu isn't made by what you would call a traditional company, it is lovingly created by a group of farmers and farmers wives in Yusukawa which is a small village with a population of only 340! Yusukawa is is located in the mountains in the Ehime Prefecture - here the air is clean as there is an altitude of 600m. 

 

The Lycopins have been preparing the land for crops for more than 50 years! This has been done by drawing in the mountain water that flows from the ridge.

The Yusukawa area has a large temperature difference between day and night, so it is possible to harvest high-quality tomatoes with a good balance of sweetness and sourness. Working with nature, using black bumblebees for pollination - no chemical pesticides are used!

The tomato vinegar is made by making fruit juice from ripe Yusukawa tomatoes.  For 365 days a year, The Lycopins manage the temperature and bacteria - focusing on the timing of the ripening and slowly ageing them.

The Lycopins first make a tomato vinegar then add Kochi Yuzu, Koikuchi Shoyu (dark soy sauce) and Katsuobushi (bonito stock) to make a ponzu with real flavour, which is why is it so popular and loved by restaurants, hotels and chefs.  

Did you know? Lycopins uses tomato vinegar in all of its products!

Health Benefits

It is made in a way which is highly nutritious, stress reducing, improves sensitivity to cold and helps with skin. Tomatoes have a good source of several vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, potassium, folate and Vitamin K1. They also lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Tomatoes are a major source of the antioxidant lycopene which had been linked to reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease! Lycopene is a component that makes tomatoes red, has a strong antioxidant effect.

 

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