Instant soup and drip-brewed coffee are two things that are already familiar to everyday people like us, but consider this: drip-brewed soup. Back in December 2021, Kikkoman sought to bring this franken-creation to life by launching a crowdfunding campaign. Through this product, the brand – best known for their soya sauce – seeks to re-envision soup as a beverage.
Kikkoman, a Japanese food manufacturer whose most famous product is their soya sauce, is the genius behind the convenient drip-brewed soup. The drip-brewed soup is also known as Yohaku Drip, and you can check out their official website here.
Image credit: Makuake
The steps to making yourself a cup of soup are simple – boil some water and pour it in the drip pack before letting it soak in the hot water for a couple of minutes.
Tip: you can add a pinch of salt according to your taste!
Image credit: Makuake
The appeal of Kikkoman’s drip-brewed soup, as opposed to instant soup packets, is that it contains no artificial flavouring. All the flavour comes from the dried ingredients in the sachet.
Image credit: Makuake
One look at the components of the drip-brew sachet will tell you that Kikkoman uses real, identifiable ingredients, not artificial flavouring and dyes.
Image credit: Makuake
Kikkoman’s drip-brewed soup comes in three flavours: katsuo arabushi, katsuo karebushi, and magurobushi.
Image credit: Makuake
Ingredients used to make katsuo arabushi drip-brewed soup.
Image credit: YOHAKU Dashi: YOHAKU
The katsuo arabushi flavour comes in a green packet, and the flavour is achieved by using bonito flakes made by simmering, drying, and smoking skipjack tuna. The arabushi – or smoking – process results in a stronger smokey and fishy taste with a slightly acidic flavour.
Ingredients used to make katsuo karebushi drip-brewed soup.
Image credit: YOHAKU Dashi: YOHAKU
The katsuo karebushi flavour comes in a white packet, and the flavour is achieved by using bonito flakes made by simmering, drying and smoking skipjack tuna, but the karebushi process takes on a further step of applying mould and then drying the tuna.
This added step is then repeated a few times to further enhance the flavour, giving it a harmonic balance of richness, bitterness, and acidity.
Ingredients used to make magurobushi drip-brewed soup.
Image credit: YOHAKU Dashi: YOHAKU
The magurobushi flavour comes in a pink packet, and the flavour is achieved by using a blend of yellow-fin tuna and Hokkaidō kelp. The yellow-fin tuna is also simmered, dried, and smoked. The yellow-fin tuna yields a lighter taste, while the added Hokkaidō kelp gives more umami to the soup.
The Yohaku Drip soup will only go on sale to the public in Mar 2022, but if you are eager to try them now, you can purchase a set from an ongoing crowdfunding campaign at a discounted price of ¥1,790 (~USD15.52).
The set will include nine packets in total, comprising three of each of the flavours. You can also buy a larger set of 30 packets (¥4,820, ~USD41.80), comprising 10 of each of the flavours.
If you are willing to wait, there will be a YOHAKU Drip direct sales site where you can purchase the goods when the Yohaku Drip soup is released in Mar 2022.
Also check out:
Cover image adapted from: YOHAKU Dashi: YOHAKU
Interact with farm animals, and experience life-sized recreations of sets and popular characters from Shaun…
From seasonal blooms to millions of LED light on display, Nabana no Sato in Mie…
At Shiroi Koibito Park, you can take a peek at how the iconic Hokkaido souvenir…
Flaunt your anime ninja moves and try Naruto's favourite ramen at Shinobi Zato, a Naruto…
With English cottage-style shops and adorable animals, Yufuin Floral Village is the place to be…
One of Hokkaido's most iconic sightseeing spots, Farm Tomita comes alive in summer when rows…