At various times during the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, international leisure travel to many countries has been restricted, and sometimes entirely curtailed. When it comes to the United States, even though Japanese residents have been able to travel, many of them have chosen not to until relatively recently, out of fear of getting infected and the cost and inconvenience that entails.

At times like these, Japanese fans of "American cuisine" have had to satisfy themselves with homegrown options. But what if it were possible to experience the "taste of America" any time you wanted to?

Such was the inspiration behind a new spice mix geared towards camping cuisine called "America," sold by 株式会社キシマ Kishima Co., Ltd., a manufacturer and seller of interior goods based in 三田市 Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture.

For Kishima, the quintessential "taste of America" is none other than the hamburger.

According to their press release, the company began planning their line of original spices called 飯奉行 meshi bugyō, when they launched their outdoor goods brand. For this spice mix, which they're calling アメリカスパイス amerika supaisu in Japanese but label as "America" in English, they decided to "take a different approach to create what they call "that taste." As for what this implies, they explain, in what may be a strategically vague manner: "Our spice mix recreates the sauce used in the most popular burger born in the U.S., which everyone has seen and eaten." It's not clear if they're referring to a specific product but apparently it "sells out when it's released in limited quantities."

A blend of "American salt mixed with more than 30 different spices (reproducing the flavor of) pickles, (...) mayonnaise, fried onions, paprika, mustard, black pepper, and more," this is an "all-purpose spice (...) that goes great with all kinds of camp food."

Look what happens when you add "America" to the following dishes:

Steak x America: "A nostalgic taste? Once you recognize that taste, you can bite into it with a new feeling."

Grilled Shrimp x America: "Watch out. You'll be fighting over who gets to eat the last one."

Salad x America: "Don't miss the moment your salad becomes the star of your meal!"

French Fries x America: "A shake to highlight the sweetness of the natural ingredients."

Italian Pizza x America: "Transform it into an authentic Italian pizza."

Bukkake Udon x America: "East meets West: America instead of wasabi or chili pepper"

"America" is scheduled to go on sale at the end of October.