We prototyped “dried kale” using domestic kale
Agriture has produced a prototype of “dried kale” using Japanese-grown kale. Kale is a leafy vegetable in the Brassica family and a superfood widely known as a raw material for aojiru green drinks. It is rich in vitamin K, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and dietary fiber.
Drying it slowly at low temperature produced a finish that retained kale’s characteristic deep green color. Dried kale can be eaten as chips as is, or milled into powder for use as a raw material in aojiru or smoothie mixes.
Kale powder is a material with steady demand as a raw material for health foods, aojiru, and green smoothies. There is also demand for it as a mix-in for baking and confectionery, and as a nutritional supplement ingredient for pet food. It is well suited to developing differentiated products using Japanese-grown kale.
Agriture offers OEM manufacturing of dried vegetables and powders, as well as proposals for commercial raw materials. We welcome inquiries about drying and powdering kale, starting from the prototype stage.
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Features of dried kale and points to note about the material
Kale is a leafy vegetable in the Brassica family and a superfood known as a raw material for aojiru. Rich in vitamin K, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and dietary fiber, its greatest feature is its high nutritional value. Drying concentrates these nutrients, and turning it into powder makes it broadly usable as a raw material for aojiru, smoothies, confectionery, and health foods.Kale product pageTurnip (kabu) is a root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family, characterized by gentle sweetness and a smooth texture. When dried, its sweetness is concentrated, and when rehydrated with hot water you can enjoy a soft, melting texture. Since it has less fiber than daikon and becomes tender enough to melt when added to soups and simmered dishes, it is also suited as a material for baby food and nursing-care food.
Kale’s nutrients and their retention after drying
We’ve organized the main nutrients found in kale along with key points during the drying process.
| Nutrients | Features of kale’s nutrient content | Points to note in the drying process |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin K | Among the highest of any vegetable | Fat-soluble, so losses from drying are small |
| Vitamin C | On par with lemon | Heat-sensitive, so low-temperature drying is effective |
| Beta-carotene | Abundant as a green-and-yellow vegetable | Relatively well retained after drying |
| Dietary fiber | Contains both insoluble and soluble fiber | Concentrated by drying |
The powder-form specifications areKale powder product pageKiriboshi daikon, simmered dishes, salads
You can check the details of turnip's powder form on the
Kale has a strong image as an aojiru ingredient, but as a dried powder its uses broaden to confectionery, soups, seasonings, and more. Its characteristic bitterness varies by variety and harvest timing, so for customers seeking “kale with milder bitterness,” we can consult on variety selection from the start. Since it’s a material with strong nutritional appeal, it’s also well suited to PB development of health foods.
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Dried kale is well suited to product designs that leverage nutritional appeal and green color. We’ve organized ideas by application.
Aojiru and green smoothies
Kale powder is a standard aojiru ingredient. It works as a stand-alone aojiru, of course, and also in blends with young barley grass or ashitaba.
- 100% kale aojiru powder
- Blended aojiru with young barley grass and ashitaba
- Main ingredient for green smoothie mixes
Confectionery / bakery
Kneaded into dough, kale powder adds vivid green color and nutritional value. As a green material to replace matcha, it offers a point of differentiation.
- Kale cookies, muffins, and pound cakes
- Green pancake and waffle mixes
- Green macarons and kale chocolate
Health foods, supplements
Because it can highlight its abundance of vitamin K, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and calcium, there is also demand for it as a supplement ingredient.Vegetable powder listAn ingredient for oden and pot-au-feu
- Multivitamin supplement ingredient with kale
- Dietary-fiber supplements and fiber powder
- Green material blended into protein bars and energy bars
Snacks and chips
Dried kale can be lightly baked as is and eaten as kale chips. It’s a way of eating that is also popular overseas as a healthy snack.
- OEM production of kale chips
- Blending ingredient for vegetable-chip mixes
- Flavored kale snacks
A base raw material for vegetable bouillon and dashi powder
Here are the representative specifications for commercial lots of dried kale.
A vegetable base powder for baby food
| Item | Agriture's manufacturing specs and OEM support |
|---|---|
| Raw materials | Japanese-grown kale |
| Manufacturing spec | Dried leaf / cut / powder |
| Processing plant | Our own processing plant within Kyoto Prefecture |
| Additives | Domestic turnip |
| Best-before date | About 6 months from the shipping date |
| Processing shape | From 1 kg of raw material |
| Main production lot | Slice / dice cut / powder |
| Not used | Minimum prototyping lot |
Customization support
- Form: dried leaf (for chips) ・ cut (for ingredients) ・ powder (for aojiru)
- Blending: pre-blending with other aojiru materials such as young barley grass and ashitaba available
- Specification sheet, certificate of raw material origin, microbiological test report
- Shape: slice (for pickles), dice cut (for ingredients), powder
Blending: pre-blend support with other dried vegetables
Because bitterness varies by kale variety, we recommend confirming the taste at the prototype stage.
- dried vegetable / powder OEM inquiry formLabel: besides unbranded delivery, PB filling under the OEM client's brand supported
- Share your variety preferences and tolerance for bitterness in a concept interview (via Zoom or email)
- Since turnip's sweetness intensity differs by variety and harvest time, we recommend confirming flavor through prototyping.
- Contact us with the prototyping content, desired shape, and assumed application via
- Share the requirements of the blending destination in a concept hearing (Zoom or email)
Tell us your application—such as “we want to develop a PB aojiru” or “we’re considering OEM for kale chips”—and we’ll propose the optimal form and variety.
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
Q. Is kale’s bitterness strong?
A. The intensity of the bitterness varies by variety and harvest timing. For requests such as “we want kale with milder bitterness,” we can consult with you from the variety-selection stage.
Q. Can it be used as an aojiru ingredient?
A. Kale powder is a standard aojiru ingredient. We handle stand-alone aojiru, of course, as well as the development of original aojiru blended with other aojiru materials.
Q. Is nutritional analysis available?
A. Please consult us about nutritional analysis and the documentation needed to commercialize health foods or supplements.
Q. Can it be blended with other vegetable powders?
A. It can be combined with the 60-plus materials Agriture handles.Vegetable powder list pagePlease check the specifications on
Q. Can it be blended with other dried vegetables?
A. It can be combined with the 60-plus dried vegetables handled by Agriture. Please check the items handled on
Related pages and further reading
- We Prototyped "Dried Turnip" Using Domestically Grown Turnip
- We prototyped “dried kiwi” using domestic kiwi
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