Rei Kojima– Author –
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Agriture’s contact desk
Guide to Inquiries and How to Order. Thank you very much for your continued patronage. You can choose from the following three methods for orders and inquiries. ■ Inquiries by phone TEL: 050-1785-6856. Those in a hurry or wishing to consult directly, please use the LINE below... -
How to Make Kiriboshi Daikon: Drying, Rehydrating, and Popular Simmered Recipes
Kiriboshi daikon (dried shredded radish) is essential to simmered dishes. In fact, you can make it easily at home simply by cutting and drying daikon. Homemade versions have a richer sweetness and no additives to worry about. Still, many people hesitate over problems like "it won't dry properly," "I'm worried about mold," or "I don't know how to rehydrate or store it." In this article, we explain... -
How to Make Dried Mandarin: Tips for Making It Whole with the Peel, Plus Storage and Recipes
Mandarins are plentiful in winter. If you have some left over that you can't finish, turning them into dried mandarin is a great option. Drying concentrates the sweetness, and if you make them whole with the peel, the cross-section is as beautiful as a flower, adding a lovely touch to tea or yogurt. They turn out plenty sweet even without added sugar... -
How to Use Shikuwasa: Making the Most of the Juice and Peel, Plus a Honey-Marinade Recipe
Shikuwasa is a citrus that represents Okinawa. With its sharp acidity, gently bitter peel, and refreshing aroma, it has many uses beyond simply squeezing it over food, extending to drinks, seasonings, and as an accent in cooking. That said, quite a few people find themselves unsure, wondering "the juice ends up left over" or "how do I use the peel?"... -
How to Make Dried Persimmon: Tips to Prevent Mold, How to Bring Out the White Bloom, and Storage
Dried persimmon is a seasonal tradition from autumn into winter. The way astringent persimmons are reborn sweet through sun and wind can be recreated at home. Still, failures like "mold appeared" or "it didn't turn out sweet" are common, and mastering a few tips is what separates success from failure. In this article, we cover dried persimmon... -
How to Eat and Choose Dried Mango: Using It with Yogurt and Storage Tips
Dried mango is popular for its rich sweetness and tropical aroma. It's delicious on its own, but knowing different ways to eat it—rehydrating it in yogurt or mixing it into sweets and drinks—greatly expands the enjoyment. On the other hand, some find it "too sweet" or "too hard," which comes down to choosing the right type... -
How to Make Dried Kiwi: Microwave, Oven, and Dehydrator Tips to Preserve Color and Tartness
Kiwi is prized for its vivid green and sweet-tart flavor. Drying it mellows the tartness and concentrates the sweetness, making a snack distinctly different from the fresh fruit. The tiny popping texture of the seeds remains too, making it a perfect accent for granola or yogurt. In this article, we cover... -
3 Ways to Make Dried Banana: Foolproof Microwave, Oven, and Dehydrator Tips
Bananas are too ripe to finish, or you want additive-free fruit for your child's snack—that's when dried banana comes in handy. The appeal of the homemade version is that you can concentrate the sweetness of ripe bananas as-is, without sugar or oil. Still, some run into issues like "it's sticky and not fully dried" or "it turned brown"... -
Shishigatani Kabocha Powder
Shishigatani Kabocha powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering the Kyoto heirloom vegetable "Shishigatani kabocha." It is intended for uses such as potage bases, dough for baked goods, Japanese-style simmered-dish powders, and baby food bases, spreading the light, delicate flavor and gentle color of Shishigatani kabocha uniformly... -
Horikawa Gobo Powder
Horikawa Gobo powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering Horikawa gobo, a Kyoto heirloom vegetable. It is intended for uses such as Japanese dashi bases, kinpira-style seasoning, soup bases, and flavoring for baking and confectionery, spreading the distinctive fragrance and earthy aroma of Horikawa gobo uniformly. In... -
Shogoin Kabu Powder
Shogoin Kabu powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering Shogoin kabu, a Kyoto heirloom vegetable. It is intended for uses such as potage bases, Japanese-style seasoning, kneading into dough, and mixed powders for pickling, spreading the soft sweetness and refined flavor of Shogoin kabu uniformly... -
Dried Shishigatani Kabocha
Dried Shishigatani kabocha is a commercial ingredient made from the Kyoto heirloom vegetable "Shishigatani kabocha." Shishigatani kabocha is a Japanese kabocha of the genus Cucurbita in the gourd family, prized for its distinctive gourd-like shape pinched at top and bottom, and its higher-moisture, light flavor. Agriture... -
Dried Horikawa Gobo
Dried Horikawa gobo is a commercial ingredient made from the Kyoto heirloom vegetable "Horikawa gobo." Horikawa gobo is a large burdock that swells to 6–9 cm thick and around 50 cm long, with a hollow center (su-iri); it has soft flesh and a distinctive fragrance. This thick, hollow shape and the soft... -
Dried Shogoin Kabu
Dried Shogoin kabu is a commercial dried ingredient made from the Kyoto heirloom vegetable "Shogoin kabu." Shogoin kabu is one of Japan's largest round turnips, reaching 15–20 cm in diameter, prized for its white, smooth skin, dense yet soft flesh, and strong sweetness. Agriture handles contract drying of client-supplied raw materials... -
Commercial and OEM Shiso Powder (Ooba and Red Shiso): Manufacturing Methods, How to Choose, and Small-Lot Production Explained
Shiso powder, made by drying and grinding shiso (ooba, red shiso), is a commercial ingredient that lets you add aroma and color without moisture. It is used widely for flavoring processed foods—furikake, ochazuke mix, Japanese-style snacks, and dough for baking and noodle-making. This article covers shiso powder... -
How to Use Shiso Powder: Ooba and Red Shiso Powder Recipes, Selection, and Storage
Shiso powder, made by grinding ooba (green shiso) or red shiso into powder, is a handy seasoning that lets you add shiso's aroma and color to dishes without the chopping and food waste. But many people can't tell "what dishes to use it in" or "how it differs from fresh shiso," and end up leaving it unused... -
Red Shiso Recipes and Uses: A Thorough Guide from Juice, Yukari, and Syrup to Storage and Variations
Red shiso left over from making umeboshi, or a huge harvest from your home garden—are you unsure how to use it? Red shiso can be used in a wide range of ways, not only for juice and yukari but also in salads, pasta, and preserved foods. In this article, we cover everything from prepping red shiso to the classic red shiso juice and syrup... -
Are Ooba and Green Shiso Different? Actually the Same? Explaining the Difference from Red Shiso, Types, and Uses
Have you ever been unsure which to buy when "ooba" and "green shiso" are sold separately at the supermarket? To get straight to the point, ooba and green shiso are leaves of the same plant. On the other hand, the red shiso used for umeboshi is in the same shiso family but differs in both color and use. This article... -
Before Your Ooba Turns Black: Storage Methods and Uses for Refrigerating, Freezing, and Drying to Keep It Fresh
You put the ooba (green shiso) you bought in the fridge, only to find it turned black within a few days—many people have had this experience. Strongly aromatic ooba is vulnerable to both drying out and excess moisture, and if stored without any care, its original flavor fades almost instantly. In this article, we cover refrigerating, freezing... -
Freeze-Dried Baby Food OEM: Manufacturing Standards, Safety Criteria, and How to Choose a Contract Partner
Freeze-dried baby food, which becomes a dish just by dissolving it in hot or cooled boiled water, is seeing rising demand against the backdrop of time-saving needs in busy parenting and its portability. OEM inquiries from those wanting to roll it out under their own brand are also increasing, but since baby food is something babies put in their mouths, safety management and labeling... -
Freeze-Dried Zosui OEM: Production Lots, Cooked-Rice Processing, and Contract Manufacturers Explained
Freeze-dried zosui, which becomes a steaming bowl just by pouring hot water, has wide uses—late-night meals, meal replacement, mountaineering and disaster stockpiles, and for the elderly—and OEM inquiries from those wanting to roll it out under their own brand are increasing. Because it handles cooked rice, the key points of production design differ from miso soup and soup, such as how the rice rehydrates and... -
Freeze-Dried Soup OEM: A Guide to Small-Lot Manufacturing, Costs, and Manufacturer Comparison
Freeze-dried soup, which becomes a proper bowl just by pouring hot water, is expanding its channels—gifts, subscriptions, for offices, and disaster stockpiles—against the backdrop of rising health consciousness and time-saving needs. OEM inquiries from those wanting to roll it out under their own brand are also increasing, but soup differs by type in freeze... -
Freeze-Dried Miso Soup OEM: The Key Points of Minimum Lots, Manufacturing Methods, and Choosing a Manufacturer
Freeze-dried miso soup, which becomes a bowl in tens of seconds after pouring hot water, has wide channels—gifts, disaster stockpiles, health foods, and hotel amenities—and inquiries from those wanting to release it under their own brand are increasing from food manufacturers and PB development teams. But just "freeze-drying miso" alone won't do it, with salt... -
A Salad Vending Machine Where AI Sets the Price Appears at JR Kyobashi Station—KOMPEITO's "Office de Yasai" Implements Waste Reduction Inside the Station
KOMPEITO installed the salad vending machine "SALAD STAND," which changes prices with AI, at JR Kyobashi Station on May 13. It calculates the optimal price from foot traffic and expiration dates, implementing food-loss reduction inside the station. -
Kawachi issun broad bean certified as the 26th item of the “Naniwa Heirloom Vegetables”—the lineage of native varieties Osaka has kept protecting
Osaka Prefecture certified Kawachi issun broad bean as a “Naniwa Heirloom Vegetable,” bringing the number of certified items to 26. It is a large-grained native variety grown in southern Osaka since the Meiji era, meeting three requirements including a cultivation history of over about 100 years and a clear lineage. -
An IT Company Provides Off-Spec Vegetable Delivery Free to All Employees—One of the First 333 Companies Certified by MAFF as "Outstanding Food Education Practice Corporations"
System developer Nihon Knowledge Space was newly certified as a MAFF "Outstanding Food Education Practice Corporation 2026" for initiatives such as providing the off-spec vegetable delivery service "LossHeru" to all employees at company expense. It joined the list as one of the 333 companies in the first year. -
Tokushima's "Fully Ripe Sudachi" Becomes an Upcycled Beverage—The Rescue of Yellow-Ripened Discarded Citrus Becomes the Prefecture's 8th Case
Two upcycled beverages using fully ripe sudachi grown in Tokushima Prefecture were commercialized by Fuji and Mitsubishi Foods. As a rescue of citrus that wasn't shipped while green and was discarded after ripening yellow, it becomes the prefecture's 8th upcycling case. -
Calbee Keeps "Frugra" Stocked in the Office—Addressing Vegetable and Fruit Shortages at Outstanding Food Education Practice Corporation 2026
Calbee was selected as a MAFF "Outstanding Food Education Practice Corporation 2026." We introduce its health-management efforts facing employees' vegetable and fruit shortages, such as permanently offering "Frugra" at its head-office office. -
Cookies from the "Leaves" of Nijisseiki Pears—Tottori University Students Take 2 Years to Commercialize Them as a Measure Against Abandoned Farmland
"Yuri," a student group at Tottori University, spent two years commercializing cookies made from pear leaves. Focusing on abandoned pear orchards that no longer bear fruit, they make use of pesticide-free leaves—we introduce this initiative from Tottori, the home of pears. -
Non-standard vegetable snack “Blue blossom” exhibits at a welfare event—an angle of “not making welfare something special”
"Blue blossom," a snack brand upcycling off-spec vegetables grown in Hokkaido, exhibited at the welfare event WellFes 2026. We introduce its management philosophy of "not making welfare something special" and its efforts to reduce food loss. -
Seven Adopts Off-Spec Toyama-Grown Komatsuna—Reducing Food Loss with Onigiri Using Overgrown Vegetables
Seven-Eleven adopted Toyama-grown komatsuna, which tends to be discarded for overgrowing, in its "Red Salmon Barley-Rice Onigiri." We explain this food-loss-reduction effort, sold at about 340 Hokuriku stores from June 2, in partnership with JA Zen-Noh Toyama. -
KOMPEITO Turns Off-Spec Miura-Grown Watermelon into Konjac Jelly—A New Health-Cafeteria Menu Delivered to 25,000 Offices Nationwide
KOMPEITO teamed with JA Zen-Noh Kanagawa to process Miura-grown watermelon that can't reach the market due to blemishes or shape into konjac jelly. It began an effort to deliver it to over 25,000 offices nationwide via the placed-type health cafeteria "Office de Yasai." -
Dried Persimmon
Product Overview of Dried Persimmon Dried persimmon is a commercial dried fruit made by cutting domestically grown sweet persimmons into slices or dice and drying them. Unlike hoshigaki (koro-gaki) finished by hanging under the eaves, thin-slicing and removing the moisture gives the persimmon's own gentle sweetness and a soft yet somewhat chewy texture... -
A Google Search feature that prioritizes showing your preferred sites has started in Japan
Google has made its new feature "Preferred Sources," which lets users themselves choose the media and sites they want prioritized in the search screen's "Top Stories," available in Japanese too. Normally, Top Stories search results are determined by Google's own algorithm... -
Thinned melon powder
Thinned-Melon powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering the immature fruit (thinned melons) that are culled during melon cultivation. Thinned melons are of the genus Cucumis in the gourd family, and unlike sweet, ripe melons, they have a green, cucumber-like refreshing flavor and a moderate green aroma. With little off-flavor... -
Green Onion Powder
Green onion powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering the green leaves of green onion (leaf onion). It is intended for uses such as soups, furikake, seasoning, and seasoning bases, spreading the distinctive aroma and color of onion uniformly. Fresh green onion, even when chopped, varies in shelf life and dispersion... -
Corn Powder
Corn powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering sweet corn. It is intended for uses such as corn soup, cornbread, confectionery dough, beverage formulations, and seasoning, spreading corn's own sweetness and yellow color uniformly. Compared with fresh or canned... -
Tomato Powder
Tomato powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering tomatoes. It is intended for uses such as tomato sauce, soup bases, pasta sauce, seasoning, and confectionery formulations, spreading tomato's umami and red color uniformly as a powder. Tomato is a vegetable of the nightshade family, and its umami... -
Ooba Powder
Ooba powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering ooba (green shiso). It is intended for uses such as furikake, Japanese-style dressing, tossing powder for chilled pasta, and blending into Japanese-style seasonings, distributing the refreshing aroma unique to ooba evenly through dough or powder. Ooba... -
Mulberry Leaf Powder
Mulberry leaf powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering mulberry leaves of the genus Morus in the mulberry family. It is intended for uses such as green juice, health tea, and confectionery that makes use of its green color, spreading the calm green and mild flavor unique to mulberry leaves uniformly. By tuning the drying and grinding conditions, a deep... -
Lemon Powder
Lemon powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering lemons. It is intended for uses such as lemonade, drink mixes, baked goods, seasoning, and black tea blends, spreading lemon's refreshing acidity and aroma uniformly. Making use of aromatic compounds abundant in the peel such as limonene... -
Bitter melon powder
Goya powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering goya (bitter melon). It is intended for uses such as goya tea, health-oriented beverages, confectionery, and seasoning formulations, spreading goya's distinctive faint bitterness and green flavor uniformly. Goya is a summer vegetable of the genus Momordica in the gourd family... -
Green Lemon Powder
Green lemon powder is a commercial raw material made by drying domestically grown lemons harvested while the peel is still green, finished into a fine powder. Pre-ripe green lemons have thin peel and mild bitterness, and even when used whole with the peel, they tend not to produce harshness. Their refreshing aroma and sharp acidity, in liquid or... -
Island Chili Powder
Island chili powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering the small island chilies beloved in Okinawa. It is intended for uses such as spicy seasonings, hot sauce, and dusting for snacks, spreading the sharp heat and aroma of island chili uniformly in small amounts. The standard Japanese name for island chili is Kidachi togarashi... -
Sansho Powder
Sansho powder is a raw material made by drying and then finely powdering the pericarp of sansho. It is intended for uses such as blending into shichimi togarashi, mapo sauce bases, flavoring for tsukudani, Japanese-style seasoning, and confectionery accents, spreading the citrus-like aroma and numbing flavor unique to sansho uniformly... -
Dried Hibiscus
Dried hibiscus is an edible flower ingredient made by drying the calyx of roselle (scientific name Hibiscus sabdariffa) in the mallow family. It is a different plant from ornamental hibiscus, and the raw material is the red calyx that thickens and swells after flowering. Prized for its vivid red color and clean acidity... -
Dried Calendula
Dried calendula is a commercial ingredient made from the petals of the annual "calendula (scientific name Calendula officinalis)" in the daisy family. It is characterized by vivid orange-to-yellow petals, whose coloring is locked in through low-temperature drying. Also called "pot marigold," it is used for cooking... -
Dried Karaki
Dried karaki is a commercial ingredient made by drying the leaves or bark of the evergreen tree "karaki (a relative of Okinawa cinnamon and Chinese cinnamon)" in the laurel family. Karaki is an aromatic wood in the cinnamon family, with a sweet, soft cinnamon-like aroma, yet not as intensely stimulating as a cinnamon stick... -
Dried Cardamom
Dried cardamom is a commercial spice ingredient made by drying the fruit (pods) and seeds of a plant in the ginger family. Prized for its sweet, refreshing, refined aroma, that aroma is locked inside the pod through low-temperature drying. Agriture also offers cardamom powder made by finely powdering the same cardamom... -
Dried Lavender
Dried lavender is a commercial ingredient made by processing the flower spikes of the herb "lavender" in the mint family through low-temperature drying. Prized for the look of small purple flowers strung in spikes and lavender's distinctive refreshing fragrance, it tends to retain its aroma and purple color even when dried. Agriture also offers the same...
