Dried Kamo eggplant

Product overview of dried Kamo nasu

The heirloom vegetable "Kamo nasu," cultivated for over 300 years in the Kamigamo district of Kyoto. It has the property of beingfine-grained and firm yet tender, and resistant to falling apart when simmered. Drying itmakes the flesh even firmer, bringing out its refined aroma and sweetnessin a transformed taste.

When heat-cooked, it becomesa melting texture, just like grilled eggplant, with a fruity sweetness that gets even eggplant-averse people reaching for their chopsticks. As a material that earns high marks in taste, texture, and appearance alike—able to be the star of a dish or a supporting player—and with its established name recognition, it is also used in settings such as novelties.

Three commitments Agriture values

Six reasons to choose Kamo nasu

Product specifications

Customization support

We flexibly accommodate the following customizations to match your OEM product development. Please feel free to contact us for large-lot orders or consultations on specification changes. Even product concepts that can't be fully expressed with the standard specification can be supported by Agriture through combinations of drying conditions and cutting methods.

Depending on the customization content, there may be constraints on the raw material procurement timing and lot size. Consulting us early to match the peak season of Kamo nasu and the manufacturing schedule allows manufacturing to your desired specification to proceed smoothly.

About the Kamo nasu raw material

Agriture's dried Kamo nasu is sourced by forming long-term relationships with partner farmers within Kyoto Prefecture. By managing it with links down to the growing region, producer, and variety, we have a system in place to deliver commercial-use raw material of stable quality every year.

*Reference: OYAOYA product page

Agriture's low-temperature drying technology

At Agriture, to make the most of Kamo nasu's qualities, we adopt a proprietary drying process that slowly draws out moisture at low temperature. Compared with high-temperature drying it takes time, but the greatest benefit is being able to cherish the ingredient's color, aroma, and nutrition. By finely controlling the three—temperature, humidity, and airflow—we can draw the optimal drying curve for each ingredient, which is a feature of Agriture's low-temperature drying.

Raw material delivered from partner farmers is processed on an integrated line—washing, cutting, and drying—all on the same day. While reducing raw material loss, we lock the fresh flavor into the dried product. Being able to keep the time from harvest to processing short is a strength that comes precisely from having a processing base in the growing region of Kyoto.

For each post-processing lot, we check the moisture value and color tone one by one and ship only those that meet the quality standard. Even for commercial-use lots, because we check on both the visual and measurement fronts, we can deliver Kamo nasu at a stable finished quality.

Use scenes and OEM case studies

Dried Kamo nasu is used across a wide range of business types—from food makers to restaurants and EC mail-order brands. In addition to menus that make the most of the ingredient as is, its adoption is spreading as an OEM raw material for processed foods, seasonings, and blended products. Here we introduce representative use scenes.

Simmered dishes / Japanese-style deli sides

Reconstituted with water and simmered together with dashi, it becomes a thick, hearty dish like simmered Kamo nasu. Because it saves the trouble of peeling and prep, it is popular as a raw material for frozen deli sides and vacuum-packed deli sides. It can be stored at room temperature and is an easy material to incorporate into product designs that emphasize a Kyoto-vegetable character.

Grilled dishes / dengaku

Lightly reconstituted and then used in grilled dishes, it has enough presence to serve as the main dish, such as miso dengaku or grilled deli sides. Because the flesh is firm, it resists falling apart even when grilled, making it an easy material for designing a hearty plate.

Vegetable sauces / pâtés

Making the most of the melting texture achieved by heating, it can also be developed as a raw material for vegetable pâtés and meat-alternative substitutes. Because it is easy to produce satisfaction even while reducing the meat amount, it can be considered as a material for plant-based products.

Shojin cuisine / vegetable menus

Even in meat-free vegetable menus, the hearty flesh of Kamo nasu can create satisfying eating quality. Because you can use just the needed amount from room-temperature stock, it also suits as a material for shojin cuisine and plant-derived products.

Kyoto tourism / gift products

Making the most of the brand strength of "Kyoto heirloom vegetable, Kamo nasu," it can be used as a raw material for tourist souvenirs and gifts. Because the growing region and variety can be clearly stated, it is a raw material well-suited to planning value-added products that highlight the story of Kyoto vegetables.

About commercial OEM / processing consultations

By using "Kamo nasu," a top brand of Kyoto vegetables, you can carry the storytelling of Kyoto into your product. It is a material with good compatibility with Kyoto-vegetable series and tourist-destination brand development.

At Agriture, we also support launching private-brand products centered on dried Kamo nasu and renewing existing products. We accompany the entire development process—recipe design, prototyping, preparing specification sheets, and packaging proposals.

Custom-size support (change in cut thickness, shape adjustment): consultation available from orders of 10 kg or more. OEM support: available. Large-lot manufacturing: available (advance consultation required three months before the manufacturing period). We guide you consistently through everything from quotation to sample arrangement to match your requests.

Past initiative case studies are here

Please also see related initiative case studies and columns.

• Kamo Eggplant: A Kyoto Vegetable Prized for Its Round Shape and Rich Flavor
• The Work of "Subtraction" That Makes the Most of Kyoto Vegetables
• How to Build a Seasonal Course Woven with Kyoto Vegetables

Frequently asked questions

Medicinal (yakuzen) benefits (in the case of raw Kamo nasu)

In the world of yakuzen, eggplant is classified as "cooling," and it is an ingredient expected to work to cool excess heat accumulated in the body. It has long been enjoyed as a vegetable easy to incorporate in seasons when summer flushing, dry mouth, or loss of appetite become a concern.

Furthermore, it is also expected to work to promote blood circulation and ease swelling. In seasons when the body tends to feel heavy from heat and humidity, incorporating it gently in simmered dishes or agebitashi is recommended.

The heirloom vegetable Kamo nasu is an ingredient that has long appeared in Kyoto's dietary wellness. Through various cooking methods such as sauces, pâtés, and simmered dishes, you can casually incorporate the ideas of yakuzen.

Samples and inquiries

We can also prepare trial samples first. For the initial transaction, samples are supplied for a fee. Please feel free to contact us for consultations on OEM development and stable supply as well.

Commercial-use dried vegetable OEM is here

Commercial vegetable powder is here

Recommended reading

• Kamo Eggplant: A Kyoto Vegetable Prized for Its Round Shape and Rich Flavor
• The Work of "Subtraction" That Makes the Most of Kyoto Vegetables
• How to Build a Seasonal Course Woven with Kyoto Vegetables