HISTORY OF EREWHON - NATURAL FOODS ... - SoyInfo Center

Chickpeas (Garbanzo, imported from southern Europe).
3. Sea vegetables: Dulse (From Grand Manan Island,
Canada), hiziki, kombu, nori (dried laver), wakame (the
latter 4 imported from Japan).
4. Soy Bean Products: Soy sauce (“Aged naturally in
wooden kegs at least 18 months”; 16 oz, 32 oz, 18 litre
keg). Hacho miso (“Soybean puree made from soybeans,
salt & water. No chemicals used in fermentation. Aged at
least 18 months”; 1 lb, 2 lb, 44 lb keg). Mugi miso
(“Soybean puree. A lighter miso made with barley”; 1 lb, 2
lb, 44 lb keg). Moromi (“A thick sauce removed from the
bottom of the soy sauce kegs after fermentation. Its uses are
unlimited in soups & sauces”; 7 oz.). Seitan (“Wheat and
soy sauce cooked together for a long time. When used in
soups or sauteed in vegetables it has a taste much like beef”;
3½ oz.). Note 1. This is the earliest document seen (July
2005) that mentions seitan and clearly understands what it
is.
5. Condiments: Furikake (“A tangy sesame condiment
made from Miso, sesame seeds, soy flour, nori and bonita
[sic, bonito] flakes”; 3½ oz.), Daikon pickle, Sesame miso
(“A hearty condiment for use on rice and other grains. Made
from miso and unhulled sesame seeds”; 3½ oz). Tekka (“A
strong dark condiment; famous for its medicinal qualities.
Made from carrots, burdock, lotus, ginger, sesame oil, and
miso”; 3½ oz), Sesame seeds, Sesame tahini.
6. Sea salt: Grey unrefined (from the Mediterranean
Sea, unwashed and unground), White unrefined. 7. Oils:
Corn germ oil (unrefined, pressed. No solvents, chemicals,
or preservatives), Sesame oil. 8. Noodles: Ito soba, Kame
soba, Udon. 9. Beverages: Kukicha, Kohren (Lotus root
powder), Mu beverage (made from 16 different herbs),
Yannoh (coffee-like drink made from grains and beans).
10. Miscellaneous: Dentie toothpowder (made from
eggplant and salt), Kuzu arrowroot, Umeboshi & chiso
[shiso, shisonoha, or beefsteak leaves], Umeboshi (“Salt
plums aged in wooden kegs for at least 3 years”).
11. Cookbooks (written in America): Cooking Good
Food, and Cooking with Grains and Vegetables.
The majority of the above products are imported,
mostly from Japan.
The inside front cover states: “Due to the growth of our
business and our belief that good quality food should be
available at low cost, we have eliminated many items from
our wholesale list. We have eliminated most grains because
excellent quality grains are available from many sources at
more reasonable prices than we are able to charge. Two
excellent sources for grains are Arrowhead Mills, Box 866,
Hereford, Texas, and Pioneer Specialty Foods, Box 427,
Fargo, North Dakota. Also eliminated from our wholesale
list is Chico-San products. For these please write directly to
Chico-San, 1262 Humboldt Ave., Chico, California, or
contact any health food distributor.”
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2011
HISTORY OF EREWHON 40
Note 2. The products in this catalog do not require
refrigeration; they contain no refined sugar / white sugar, no
meat, and no dairy products–just like the catalogs of almost
all subsequent natural food distributors during the 1970s
and 1980s.
Note 3. This is the earliest existing Erewhon catalog
seen (March 2011), and the earliest document seen (March
2011) concerning Erewhon and soy.
Note 4. This is the earliest document seen (March
2006) that mentions Arrowhead Mills, of Hereford, Texas.
Address: 342 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts
02115. Phone: 617-262-3420.
21. Product Name: Azuki Beans.
Manufacturer’s Name: Erewhon Trading Co., Inc.
(Importer). From Japan.
Manufacturer’s Address: 342 Newbury St., Boston, MA
02115. Phone: (617) 262-3420.
Date of Introduction: 1970. January.
New Product–Documentation: Erewhon Trading
Company Inc. 1970. Jan. 1. Wholesale-retail catalogue.
“Azuki beans. Imported from the island of Hokkaido, Japan.
Premium quality. Unlike the usual imported Azuki. Price:
Due to foreign market fluctuations, prices on request.”
22. Product Name: Black [Soy] Beans.
Manufacturer’s Name: Erewhon Trading Co., Inc.
(Importer). From Japan.
Manufacturer’s Address: 342 Newbury St., Boston, MA
02115. Phone: (617) 262-3420.
Date of Introduction: 1970. January.
New Product–Documentation: Erewhon Trading
Company Inc. 1970. Jan. 1. Wholesale-retail catalogue.
“Kuromame, a black soy bean import. Price: Due to foreign
market fluctuations, prices on request.”
23. Product Name: Furikake, Sesame Miso, Tekka.
Manufacturer’s Name: Erewhon Trading Co., Inc.
(Importer). Made in Japan. Imported from Muso Shokuhin.
Manufacturer’s Address: 342 Newbury St., Boston, MA
02115.
Date of Introduction: 1970. January.
How Stored: Shelf stable.
New Product–Documentation: Erewhon Trading
Company Inc. 1970. Jan. 1. Wholesale-retail catalogue.
Products imported from Japan include the following
“Condiments,” each made with miso: Furikake (“A tangy
sesame condiment made from Miso, sesame seeds, soy
flour, nori and bonita [sic, bonito] flakes”; 3½ oz.), Sesame
miso (“A hearty condiment for use on rice and other grains.
Made from miso and unhulled sesame seeds”; 3½ oz).
Tekka (“A strong dark condiment; famous for its medicinal
qualities. Made from carrots, burdock, lotus, ginger, sesame
oil, and miso”; 3½ oz).