They were selling cans of “Crab Hot Pot Broth” from a vending machine next to Ashiya Shimizu Post Office in Shimizu-cho, along National Route 2.
↑ Of the four vending machines lined up on the right side when facing Ashiya Shimizu Post Office…
↑ The one on the far right, a DyDo DRINCO vending machine…
↑ On the middle row, right side, tucked between “Golden Oshiruko” and “Cocoa,” there it was: “Crab Hot Pot Soup, Zosui-Style”! Crab hot pot soup, zosui-style!?
↑ The poor “Crab Hot Pot Soup, Zosui-Style” looked a little out of place wedged between sweet drinks, so I rescued it right away (At least put it next to the corn soup!)
↑ The label says, “Packed with the delicious flavor of the finishing dish of crab hot pot. A zosui-style soup.” This is quite the adventurous drink.
I cracked it open and tried it, and from the very first sip, there was a powerful hit of CRAB!!! The bold crab broth flavor spreads through your mouth! This really is “crab hot pot soup”!! So much umami.
↑ And since it’s “zosui-style,” it actually has rice in it! What’s more, it uses roasted brown rice, so you get a nice toasty aroma and a little poppy texture. (It does linger in your mouth a tiny bit, so opinions may be divided. I liked it.)
The rice grains tend to settle at the bottom of the can, kind of like oshiruko or corn soup, so it’s best to swirl the can around and mix it well as you drink!
↑ Since it has such a strong crab flavor, it does contain crab extract, so it’s a no-go for anyone with a shellfish allergy. It also contains shrimp, wheat, egg, and milk.
National Route 2 gets so windy and absolutely freezing in winter!! So being able to warm up from the inside with a piping-hot soup-style drink is seriously nice! I thought it might just be a novelty item, but I might actually buy this again.
Here’s the map for Ashiya Shimizu Post Office↓
The address is 3-5 Shimizu-cho, Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.
