Dried Winter Melon (tougan)
Winter melon is a summer vegetable characterized by a plain yet gentle sweetness and juiciness. Our dried winter melon carefully dries Kyoto-grown material at low temperature, and even when rehydrated in stewed dishes or soups, a natural texture and flavor are reproduced. Because winter melon, high in moisture, can be handled in a stable form, it is ideal as a raw material for commercial cooking sites, retort foods, freeze-dried products, and more.
TOC
Three Commitments Behind Our Dried Winter Melon (Togan)
Agriture's dried winter melon is built with thorough quality design so it can be adopted as a commercial ingredient. Here we introduce three points we regard as particular strengths.
01 In-house management of Kyoto-grown winter melon through primary processing
Winter melon harvested in a contract-growing region within Kyoto is fully primary-processed while freshness is retained. To keep from losing the "juiciness when rehydrated" unique to moisture-rich winter melon, we thoroughly practice swift handling.
02 Arranging a moisture-rich vegetable into an easy-to-handle form
Because winter melon is over 95% water, it is a material hard to handle commercially in raw form. At Agriture, with low-temperature drying that finely adjusts temperature, airflow, and thickness, we finish it into a specification that achieves both rehydration characteristics and texture.
03 Clean-label, additive-free
The only raw material is winter melon. It is processed using no bleaching agents, preservatives, glucose, or the like whatsoever. It is a raw material easy to adopt even at sites that require transparency in ingredient declarations, such as retort foods, care foods, and hospital meals.
Product catalog showing the items we handle
Flexible support from small lots to large lots
- Sold in small lots from 100g
- Handling heirloom vegetables from across Japan
- Dried fruits and herbs also supported
Characteristics as a commercial raw material
We summarize, from six perspectives, what advantages there are in choosing dried winter melon as an OEM ingredient. Use it as a reference both for replacing existing materials and for new-product development.
High texture reproducibility after rehydration
Because a soft, winter-melon-like tenderness and texture return when hot-water rehydrated in soups or simmered dishes, it can be built into diverse recipes across Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine.
Stable moisture management, easy to handle
Winter melon is high in moisture and a material hard to manage for specifications in a commercial kitchen in raw form. Drying stabilizes prep volume and yield.
Can be expanded across Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisine
A material usable regardless of application—dashi-simmered dishes, Chinese soups, winter-melon salad, stew, and more. It has the versatility to easily develop into multiple menu items with a single ingredient.
Long-term storage enables year-round supply
Room-temperature storage with a best-before period of six months. Because winter melon, a summer vegetable, can be used unbound by season, it suits raw-material procurement for retort and frozen-food makers.
Kyoto-grown brand story
Because it uses "winter melon sourced from partner farmers in Kyoto," it is a material easy to promote by origin on product packaging.
One-stop from prototype to volume production
We handle everything from 1 kg prototypes to 10 kg or more in full production. Cut specification and packaging specification can also be adjusted flexibly to the OEM client's requirements.
Product specifications (commercial)
The product's basic specs are as follows. Cut specifications and packaging specs can be individually adjusted on a contract basis, so please consult us to match your OEM requirements. We have organized raw-material origin, best-before date, production method, and minimum lot so they can be checked at a glance.
|
Item |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Raw material |
Winter melon (Kyoto-grown) |
|
Net content |
100g (commercial unit) |
|
Production method |
Low-temperature hot-air drying |
|
Best-before date |
About 6 months from production |
|
Annual supply volume |
About 50 kg (varies by season) |
|
Processing plant |
Factory in Kyoto Prefecture |
|
Shipping unit |
100g〜 |
|
Minimum-lot OEM |
Prototype from 1kg / full production from 10kg |
Customization support
For each OEM project, we respond flexibly to changes in cut shape, powdering, small-lot prototyping, blending, and packaging specs. In addition to the response table below, please consult us about individual adjustments to match your requirements.
|
Item |
Available |
Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Size change |
◎ |
Slice, chip, dice, and more available |
|
Powdering |
△ |
Fine-powder processing available |
|
Small-lot OEM prototyping |
◎ |
Available from 2kg |
|
Mixed materials and blends |
◎ |
Blending with other raw materials available |
|
Packaging changes |
◎ |
Both commercial and individual packaging available |
POWDER
We also offer powder products
At Agriture, we also handle powder processing of dried winter melon. From the vegetable powder list, you can also check combinations with other ingredients and processing examples.
Variety, grower, and origin information
Agriture's dried winter melon keeps quality stable through procurement from partner farmers and contract regions. Please also refer to this when you want to make use of origin information at the product-planning stage.
BRAND
Variety: Centered on winter melon distributed within Kyoto, we select raw material with stable size and moisture balance.
PRODUCER
Producer: We work with partner farmers and regional partners within Kyoto. We have built a system that can send it to primary processing right after harvest.
REGION
Growing region: Kyoto (main producing area). We use winter melon grown in fields with good sunlight and water retention.
CULTIVATION
Cultivation method: Procured mainly from cultivation by partner farmers. By specifying harvest season, size, and individual weight, we stabilize the processing specification.
Low-temperature drying to protect the ingredient's natural flavor
At Agriture, to protect winter melon's aroma, color, and umami, we use low-temperature hot-air drying with finely controlled temperature and airflow. Our strength lies in retaining components easily lost in high-temperature drying, through process design matched to the material's nature.
Because we take in the raw material at our own processing facility in Kyoto and manage the whole flow in one place—sorting, cutting, drying, and inspection—we can hold quality variation between lots to a minimum. Combining procurement from partner farmers and contracted regions, we can start the drying process while the raw material is still fresh, which ties directly to finished quality.
💡 TIPS | Drying-processing trivia
Winter melon is roughly 95% water, a material that, even shipped raw, has a short shelf life and is hard to handle. Using low-temperature hot-air drying lets us drive off only the moisture without breaking the internal skeleton of pectin and dietary fiber, so a "fluffy plus firm" texture can be reproduced when rehydrated. It is also a processing method with good compatibility as a pre-step for retort and freeze-drying.
Commercial use cases
Because dried winter melon has ample aroma, texture, and umami even on its own, it can develop into multipurpose product development with a single ingredient. Here we introduce five representative scenarios.
Soup and stew ingredient
It can be used as an ingredient for Chinese soup, egg-drop soup, chicken-salt soup, potage, and the like. Because winter melon's inherent silky texture emerges just by rehydrating, it can be put into commercial soups without prep. Its stable yield with room-temperature storage and the ease of predicting prep volume are also valued.
Japanese prepared-dish and simmered-dish ingredient
It can be used as a Japanese prepared-dish raw material for dashi-simmered dishes, winter melon and shrimp ankake, chicken-soboro simmers, and the like. Because you can skip the peeling and seed-removal steps, prep is streamlined, and stable yield makes usage volume easy to predict.
Retort and frozen food raw material
It can be used as an ingredient for retort soup, frozen prepared dishes, and packaged rice. Because it can be stored long-term at room temperature, it suits as a vegetable material for processed foods that require shelf stability, and it is also a raw material easy to feed into production lines on a planned basis.
Care food and hospital meal raw material
It can be used as a base material for chopped foods, soft-cooked meals, and care foods. Because softness can be finely adjusted by the degree of moisture rehydration, it is a material well suited to menu designs mindful of ease of swallowing.
Health foods and functional foods
Because it is a moisture-rich, plain vegetable, it is also a material easy to apply to diet-oriented foods and health foods. Powdered, it can be developed into soup thickening or supplement raw material, and because it has little peculiarity, its ease of combining with other materials is also an advantage.
Prep material for chefs and restaurants
It is adopted even at top restaurants, hotel restaurants, and kappo as a material that can cover the difficulty of procuring winter melon year-round. Being able to predict prep yield is its greatest appeal.
Commercial usage and case examples
For commercial use, we can handle everything from 1 kg prototypes to 10 kg or more in full production. It is adopted as an OEM ingredient by retort makers, care-food makers, and Chinese-ingredient makers, and also as a commercial prep material for restaurants.
At Agriture, we provide end-to-end support on our own line in Kyoto, from raw-material selection and primary processing to cutting, powdering, blending, and small-portion packaging. Because we can adjust specifications to match an OEM client's spec sheet and design recipes for launching new brands, you can entrust everything with confidence from the prototype stage through volume production and ongoing supply.
We welcome first-time inquiries and considerations of switching from existing raw materials. For sample provision, quotes, and technical questions about the production process, feel free to reach out via the inquiry form.
Product catalog showing the items we handle
Flexible support from small lots to large lots
- Sold in small lots from 100g
- Handling heirloom vegetables from across Japan
- Dried fruits and herbs also supported
Frequently Asked Questions (OEM / Commercial Dried Winter Melon)
We have gathered the questions we are asked most often about OEM and commercial dried winter melon. Please use them as a reference for your decision before contracting.
Q. About what are the minimum lot and unit price?
A. Prototyping starts from 1 kg, and full production from 10 kg as a guide. Unit price varies with cut specification (slice / chip / dice) and packaging specification. Please request a quote via the inquiry form.
Q. When is the price / unit price determined?
A. It varies with winter melon's harvest season (summer to autumn) and the contract quantity. For annual contracts, the unit price at the time of contracting is the basis, but spot projects are presented at the market rate at that time.
Q. About how long are the delivery time and lead time?
A. Around two weeks for stocked items, and three to six weeks for full production as a guide. If there are additional steps such as cutting, powdering, or blending, we will advise a separate lead time.
Q. Can you provide raw-material origin certification or origin information?
A. We can prepare origin and grower information certifying that it is Kyoto-grown. It can be used as-is as documentation for OEM clients and buyers. Please specify inspection items at the time of consultation.
Q. Can you handle HACCP and export requirements?
A. Our production line complies with HACCP. We also have a track record with export projects, including preparation of English-language documents and hygiene certificates.
Q. What is the flow for an OEM consultation?
A. We proceed in the flow of (1) inquiry, (2) requirement hearing, (3) sample provision, (4) quote and contract, (5) prototype, (6) full production, and (7) delivery.
Recommended reading
Download the product catalog
We will send the materials to your email address based on the information you provide.
