Dried onion

Uses spring new onions grown at partner farms in Kyoto Prefecture that have overwintered to store up sweetness. Slow low-temperature drying gently mellows the pungency, finishing them with a fluffy sweetness and a meltingly soft texture. When moisture is added, a freshness like just-cut new onions returns, and the melt-in-the-mouth, fluffy texture unique to dried onions. They're prized as a differentiating material for businesses that need softness and sweetness—soups, simmered dishes, frozen prepared foods, bread, quiche, and more.

Three points of pride in Agriture's dried onion

Features of commercial dried onion

Product specifications

Customization support

At Agriture, cooperation with partner farms and our own processing facility achieve a stable raw material supply and high-quality manufacturing. We can flexibly handle OEM manufacturing and welcome consultations on specification changes and packaging. Custom-size handling (cut-thickness change, shape adjustment) is available for consultation from orders of 10 kg or more, and for large-lot manufacturing please consult us three months before the manufacturing period.

Commitments to variety, grower, and growing region

The raw material used in our dried onion is the Melon Onion grown at a partner farm in Kyotango, Kyoto. It's a popular item at the partner farm, distinctive for a sweetness so pronounced you won't shed tears even when prepping it raw—so popular that people who've tried it once go all the way to the field to buy it. At Agriture, we offer a special commercial raw material that locks this sweetness in through drying.

*Reference: OYAOYA product page

Low-temperature drying technology and quality control

Drying and processing onions is a high-difficulty task because of the high sugar content. Since ordinary high-temperature drying scorches the sugar, producing a caramel smell or leaving the surface sticky, at Agriture we operate a low-temperature drying program dedicated to onions. By taking time to remove moisture slowly, we achieve the distinctive "melting, fluffy" texture while retaining the sugar.

Use cases and adoption examples

As a base for soups, stews, and simmered dishes

It has an abundant adoption track record at food makers and on retort- and frozen-food production lines as a base raw material in place of fried onions or sautéed onions. The process of sautéing raw onions until amber requires heat management and time, but with dried onion, room-temperature storage and stable supply are possible, greatly cutting prep labor. Because we can provide it in cut shapes to match the application—slice, mince, flake, and more—it can accommodate a wide range of product designs, such as soup bases, sauces, and curry roux.

As a filling for bread, quiche, and gratin

A case adopted at bakeries, confectionery makers, and deli makers in quiche and gratin products for the purpose of stable filling sourcing and reduced prep labor. With raw onions, peeling, cutting, and sautéing become a burden on-site as prep volume increases, but with dried slices, you can take out just the amount needed while keeping it at room temperature and knead it into the dough, and a moist texture and sweetness remain even after baking. Because the shape can be chosen from several—slice, mince, and more—to match your request, we can discuss specs suited to the product concept and production method.

As a material for frozen and Western-style prepared foods

A use where adoption is advancing at chilled and frozen-food makers and on deli and prepared-food OEM lines. With raw onions, waste loss occurs easily due to fluctuations in prep volume, and cutting prep labor is an on-site challenge, but with dried slices, you can keep it in bulk at room temperature, use just the amount needed, and easily adjust the formulation. Because it maintains a viscous texture even after reheating, a spec that can be added directly to Western-style prepared foods like hamburg steak, curry, and gratin without rehydrating contributes to production-line efficiency.

OEM product raw material and sauce base

A use you can make the most of as a base material for a secret depth of flavor, at food makers producing commercial seasonings and sauces and at deli OEMs. With raw onions, quality unevenness at lot sourcing and the time and equipment cost of the sautéing step become a burden, but with dried onion, bulk sourcing at room temperature and fixed-quantity dosing are possible, suiting stable blending into demi-glace sauce, curry sauce, onion paste, and the like. Because grinding grade and shapes like flake and slice can also be discussed to match the application, you can achieve labor-saving prep and flavor stabilization at once.

As an ingredient for instant noodles and instant foods

A usage method aimed at cup-noodle and instant-soup makers and OEM makers handling freeze-dried foods. With raw onions, processing the tear-inducing compounds and hygiene management of the cutting line take labor, but with dried slice and dice, it can be stably stored at room temperature and fed smoothly into the production line. The fluffy texture and sweetness after rehydration pair well with premium-line instant products, so you can make use of it as a differentiating material for high-value-added lines.

Commercial usage and rehydration

Dried onion can also be used as is, without rehydrating, sprinkled on salads or added to soups. Regardless of Japanese, Western, or Chinese cuisine, it can be used in a wide range—soups, takikomi rice, pickles, dressed dishes, and more—a versatile commercial raw material usable in a variety of dishes without a knife.

When rehydrating with water, about 5–10 minutes is the guide. For simmered dishes, it can be added directly without rehydrating, and letting it soak up the dashi lets the onion's sweetness dissolve through the whole dish. When kneading it into bakery dough, mixing it with the flour after a light rehydration keeps the texture and sweetness cleanly intact even after baking.

Related cases and articles

• Vegetable Broth × Dried Vegetables to Boost Umami: Pro Tips on Use and Selection(OEM article)
• How to Make Vegetable Broth | Straight from the Pros: Basics and Tips for Drawing Out Maximum Umami(OEM article)
• Vegetable Dashi [Commercial] Complete Selection Guide｜The secret to elevating your restaurant's flavor(OEM article)

Frequently asked questions

Medicinal-food (yakuzen) benefits (in the case of fresh onion)

玉ねぎは薬膳の世界で「体を温めて血流を促す食材」として位置づけられています。炒め物やスープに加えることで、体を中から温めて元気を補う頼れる野菜として、薬膳レシピに頻繁に登場します。

Spring new onions are juicy and strongly sweet, and because they're low in pungency, they suit raw eating too. Storage onions, on the other hand, have solid pungency, and heating increases their sweetness and brings out a rich flavor. Their taste changes through the year, making it a versatile vegetable easy to use in any season.

Dried onion, with less moisture than raw onion, brings out even more flavor when simmered slowly in cooking. We also receive inquiries from commercial users who choose ingredients from a yakuzen perspective, as a supporting raw material for warming soups and menus that warm the body.

Recommended reading

• Vegetable Broth × Dried Vegetables to Boost Umami: Pro Tips on Use and Selection(OEM article)
• How to Make Vegetable Broth | Straight from the Pros: Basics and Tips for Drawing Out Maximum Umami(OEM article)
• Vegetable Dashi [Commercial] Complete Selection Guide｜The secret to elevating your restaurant's flavor(OEM article)
• Onion powder