Gold Award for 6 Consecutive Years! Trial Group's 'Kohaku Honpo' Flagship Product 'Craftsman's Special Soy Sauce Karaage', Reformed from Scratch by a Japanese Cuisine Chef, Wins Gold in the '17th Karaage Grand Prix' West Japan Supermarket Deli Section
Kohaku Honpo, under Trial Holdings, announced that its 'Craftsman's Special Soy Sauce Karaage' won the Gold Award at the 17th Karaage Grand Prix. Marking their 6th consecutive win, a Japanese chef entirely reconstructed the flavor utilizing three select soy sauces, special dashi, and roasted ichimi pepper.
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- 📰 Published: April 11, 2026 at 01:00
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Kohaku Honpo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; President: Masaaki Kitagawa; hereinafter 'Kohaku Honpo'), under the umbrella of Trial Holdings Co., Ltd., is pleased to announce that its 'Craftsman's Special Soy Sauce Karaage' has won the Gold Award in the 'West Japan Supermarket Deli Section' of the '17th Karaage Grand Prix®'. This marks the 6th consecutive year of winning the Gold Award.
Working alongside culinary experts and chefs in various departments, Kohaku Honpo offers deli items utilizing the recipes and ideas of 'food professionals'. The 'Craftsman's Special Soy Sauce Karaage' has long been loved by many within the brand for its authentic taste and affordable price, and has now won the Gold Award at the '17th Karaage Grand Prix®'. Following the awards for 'Umami Soy Sauce Karaage' in 2021, 'Ginger and Garlic Scented Chicken Karaage' in 2022, 'Double-Brewed Umami Soy Sauce Karaage' in 2023, '4-Type Soy Sauce and Ginger Scented Karaage' in 2024, and 'Ginger Soy Sauce Selected Dashi Karaage' in 2025, this represents a Gold Award victory for 6 consecutive years.
■ Japanese Cuisine Chefs Gathered to Rethink Soy Sauce, the Core of Karaage, Reconstructing the 3 Elements of 'Umami, Richness, and Sharpness'
From the previous version, which sold approximately 4.5 million packs*1 in a year, we wanted to deliver even more delicious karaage to our customers. We refocused on the core seasoning of the karaage, asking ourselves, 'Is this soy sauce truly the best fit for Kohaku Honpo's karaage?'
Starting from this question, Japanese cuisine chefs gathered to restart development from soy sauce tasting. The goal was to reconstruct the three elements of soy sauce: 'Umami, Richness, and Sharpness'. After comparing over 10 types of soy sauce, they strictly selected three: long-aged, scorched, and special dark. By designing each characteristic as a 'layer', they achieved a deep soy sauce profile where all three elements become one.
*1: From January to December 2025
- Pursuing 'Umami and Richness' with three strictly selected soy sauces out of ten, and dashi that brings out the soy sauce's umami
For the dashi, we use bonito flakes (karebushi & arabushi) from Makurazaki, Kagoshima Prefecture, round herring from Kyushu, and kelp from Hokkaido. This mixed dashi, combined with aged moromi from Kumamoto Prefecture, further enhances the umami of the soy sauce.
By increasing the amount of soy sauce koji, aged mirin, and soy sauce moromi to recreate a state close to the 'resting process' in Japanese cuisine, we created a rounded soy sauce glaze that still retains a strong soy sauce character.
- Roasted ichimi pepper as a secret ingredient to add 'sharpness' to the lingering umami and richness
Furthermore, as a secret ingredient, we adopted roasted ichimi from the long-established store Yawataya Isogoro. This is not used to add spiciness, but to create a 'sharpness' that tightens the aftertaste.
For preparing the chicken, we adopted the same 3-stage tumbling method as last year, maximizing the flavor of the dashi, the deep soy sauce taste, and the aroma of ginger.
By pooling the dedication and techniques of these craftsmen, we achieved a rounded soy sauce feel, the aroma of ginger spreading in the mouth, and a lingering aftertaste that tightens the flavor. It is a masterpiece soy sauce karaage where Japanese cuisine chefs faced the challenge seriously and obsessed over every detail of the ingredients, techniques, and finish.
■ Award Comments from Kohaku Honpo Co., Ltd. 'Craftsman's Special Soy Sauce Karaage'
Developer Daisuke Ideta
"Without being satisfied with last year's Gold Award, this year we restarted development from the question, 'What is truly the most delicious soy sauce?' The umami, richness, and sharpness...
Working alongside culinary experts and chefs in various departments, Kohaku Honpo offers deli items utilizing the recipes and ideas of 'food professionals'. The 'Craftsman's Special Soy Sauce Karaage' has long been loved by many within the brand for its authentic taste and affordable price, and has now won the Gold Award at the '17th Karaage Grand Prix®'. Following the awards for 'Umami Soy Sauce Karaage' in 2021, 'Ginger and Garlic Scented Chicken Karaage' in 2022, 'Double-Brewed Umami Soy Sauce Karaage' in 2023, '4-Type Soy Sauce and Ginger Scented Karaage' in 2024, and 'Ginger Soy Sauce Selected Dashi Karaage' in 2025, this represents a Gold Award victory for 6 consecutive years.
■ Japanese Cuisine Chefs Gathered to Rethink Soy Sauce, the Core of Karaage, Reconstructing the 3 Elements of 'Umami, Richness, and Sharpness'
From the previous version, which sold approximately 4.5 million packs*1 in a year, we wanted to deliver even more delicious karaage to our customers. We refocused on the core seasoning of the karaage, asking ourselves, 'Is this soy sauce truly the best fit for Kohaku Honpo's karaage?'
Starting from this question, Japanese cuisine chefs gathered to restart development from soy sauce tasting. The goal was to reconstruct the three elements of soy sauce: 'Umami, Richness, and Sharpness'. After comparing over 10 types of soy sauce, they strictly selected three: long-aged, scorched, and special dark. By designing each characteristic as a 'layer', they achieved a deep soy sauce profile where all three elements become one.
*1: From January to December 2025
- Pursuing 'Umami and Richness' with three strictly selected soy sauces out of ten, and dashi that brings out the soy sauce's umami
For the dashi, we use bonito flakes (karebushi & arabushi) from Makurazaki, Kagoshima Prefecture, round herring from Kyushu, and kelp from Hokkaido. This mixed dashi, combined with aged moromi from Kumamoto Prefecture, further enhances the umami of the soy sauce.
By increasing the amount of soy sauce koji, aged mirin, and soy sauce moromi to recreate a state close to the 'resting process' in Japanese cuisine, we created a rounded soy sauce glaze that still retains a strong soy sauce character.
- Roasted ichimi pepper as a secret ingredient to add 'sharpness' to the lingering umami and richness
Furthermore, as a secret ingredient, we adopted roasted ichimi from the long-established store Yawataya Isogoro. This is not used to add spiciness, but to create a 'sharpness' that tightens the aftertaste.
For preparing the chicken, we adopted the same 3-stage tumbling method as last year, maximizing the flavor of the dashi, the deep soy sauce taste, and the aroma of ginger.
By pooling the dedication and techniques of these craftsmen, we achieved a rounded soy sauce feel, the aroma of ginger spreading in the mouth, and a lingering aftertaste that tightens the flavor. It is a masterpiece soy sauce karaage where Japanese cuisine chefs faced the challenge seriously and obsessed over every detail of the ingredients, techniques, and finish.
■ Award Comments from Kohaku Honpo Co., Ltd. 'Craftsman's Special Soy Sauce Karaage'
Developer Daisuke Ideta
"Without being satisfied with last year's Gold Award, this year we restarted development from the question, 'What is truly the most delicious soy sauce?' The umami, richness, and sharpness...