Rei Kojima– Author –
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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... -
Dried Chamomile
Dried chamomile is a commercial ingredient made from the flowers of the herb "chamomile" in the daisy family. The contrast between the white petals and yellow center is charming, and it has a sweet, refreshing aroma reminiscent of apple; that coloring and aroma are locked in through low-temperature drying. Agriture also offers the same cha... -
Dried Elderflower
Dried elderflower is a commercial ingredient made from the small flowers that bloom on elder (European elder) in the honeysuckle family. Prized for a sweet, gorgeous aroma reminiscent of muscat, it has long been enjoyed in drinks and sweets in Europe. Agriture also offers the same el... -
Dried Cherry Blossom
Dried cherry blossom is an edible flower and dried flower ingredient made from the flowers of the cherry (genus Prunus) in the rose family. The flowers, salted and then dried, carry cherry blossom's distinctive soft fragrance and pale pink color, arranged into a form that is easy to handle when dried. Agriture also offers cherry-blossom powder made by powdering the flowers... -
Dried Clove
Dried clove is a spice made by drying the unopened flower buds of the clove tree in the myrtle family. Also called "choji," it is characterized by its distinctive nail-like shape and sweet, rich aroma; that aroma and flavor are locked in through low-temperature drying. Agriture also offers the same clove... -
Dried Osmanthus
Dried osmanthus is a commercial ingredient made from the small autumn-blooming flowers "kinmokusei (fragrant orange-colored osmanthus)" of the genus Osmanthus in the olive family, kept as raw material with the flower shape and aroma intact. It is characterized by small orange flowers gathered in clusters that give off a sweet, rich fragrance; that color and aroma are locked in through low-temperature drying. Agriture... -
Dried Lemongrass
Dried lemongrass is a commercial ingredient made by drying the herb "lemongrass" of the genus Cymbopogon in the grass family. Prized for a refreshing aroma reminiscent of lemon, it is finished by low-temperature drying to preserve that aroma as much as possible. Agriture also offers the same lemongrass finely powdered... -
Dried Tamogitake
Dried tamogitake is a commercial dried ingredient made from the edible mushroom "tamogitake," characterized by its vivid yellow color. Known as a mushroom that gives off rich umami and stock flavor, that flavor is locked in through low-temperature drying. Agriture offers it sliced, crushed, or as powder depending on the use... -
Dried Benihoshi Mizuna
Dried Benihoshi mizuna is a commercial ingredient made from "Benihoshi," a mizuna variety that colors red-purple. Unlike ordinary green mizuna, it is characterized by vivid red-purple running from the leaf stalks to the leaf tips; that coloring is locked in through low-temperature drying. Agriture also offers the same Benihoshi mizuna finely powdered... -
Dried Ooba
Dried ooba is a commercial ingredient made from the leaves of green shiso (ooba). Prized for its vivid green and the refreshing aroma typical of shiso in the mint family, that color and aroma are locked in through low-temperature drying. Agriture also runs, in parallel, ooba powder (made to order) that finely powders the same green shiso... -
Dried Green Onion
Dried green onion is a commercial ingredient made mainly from the green leaf portion of leaf onion (banno-negi type), cut into rings. Whereas white negi (nebuka-negi) is eaten for its white blanched part, green onion is a negi used with its green leaves as-is for garnish and color; its vivid green and negi-like aroma are captured by low-temperature... -
Dried Wariboshi Daikon
Dried wariboshi daikon is a dry ingredient thicker than kiriboshi daikon, made by splitting daikon lengthwise and drying it. Unlike kiriboshi daikon, which is julienned, it is split lengthwise before being exposed to the sun, so a firm bite and volume remain well when rehydrated; that texture is stabilized through low-temperature drying... -
Dried mulberry leaf
Dried mulberry leaf is a commercial material made from the leaves of the mulberry tree (family Moraceae). Long cultivated as food for silkworms, mulberry leaves have been a familiar ingredient for mulberry leaf tea and green vegetable drinks, and their vivid green color and rustic flavor are sealed in through low-temperature drying. At Agriture, from the same mulberry leaf... -
Dried leek flakes
Dried leek flakes are a commercial material made by turning the Western leek (leek/porri) into flake form. They have little of the strong pungency or bite of Japanese long onion; when heated, they develop a gentle sweetness and a mellow body, and that flavor is sealed in through low-temperature drying. Agr... -
Dried corn
Dried corn is a commercial material made from the kernels of sweet corn (family Poaceae). The corn's natural sweetness and the color of its yellow kernels are sealed in as they are through low-temperature drying. At Agriture, from the same sweet corn, corn powder finely milled (made to order... -
Dried Japanese pepper (sansho)
Dried sansho is a commercial material made from sansho (genus Zanthoxylum, family Rutaceae). It is characterized by a sharp pungency, a tingling that lingers on the tongue, and a fresh, citrus-like aroma; the pungency and tingling come from sanshool, a compound contained in the pericarp. At Agriture... -
Dried shima pumpkin
Dried shima pumpkin is a commercial material made from shima pumpkin, a native pumpkin variety long grown in Okinawa. In Okinawa it is also called nankwa or chinkwa in dialect, and it is classified among the Japanese pumpkin group. Its flesh is high in moisture and sticky in texture, with restrained sweetness yet... -
Dried green lemon
Dried green lemon is a commercial ingredient made by cutting domestically grown lemons—harvested while still green, before ripening yellow—into rounds and slices as raw material. Its aroma is more pronounced than yellow lemon, with a clean, refreshing acidity, and by low...it makes the most of the thin peel and low bitterness that make it easy to use whole with the peel... -
Dried island chili pepper
Dried island chili is a commercial material made by turning shima togarashi—the fiercely hot chili that represents Okinawa's island vegetables—into whole form. A small fruit of the bird's-eye chili type, it is characterized by an intense heat said to surpass that of takanotsume and Tabasco. At Agriture... -
Dried kintoki carrot
Dried kintoki carrot is a commercial material made by cutting the Eastern-type carrot "kintoki carrot (Kyoto carrot)" into thin strips. Compared with common Western carrots, it is characterized by a more vivid crimson color and a gentle sweetness, and that color and flavor are sealed in through low-temperature drying. At Agriture, from the same kintoki carrot finely milled... -
Dried goya
Dried goya is a commercial material made by turning goya (bitter melon), Okinawa's signature summer vegetable, into ring-cut form. The flesh, with seeds and pith removed, is finished by low-temperature drying while preserving its characteristic bitterness and the green color of the skin. At Agriture, from the same goya finely milled goya... -
Yakuzen Food OEM and Development: Dashi, Furikake, and Powder in Small Lots
When it comes to yakuzen, many people may picture yakuzen tea, but there are many foods beyond tea that can draw on yakuzen thinking—dashi, soup, furikake, powder, and more. For staff at companies thinking "I want to develop a yakuzen product, but where do I start?", we cover, beyond tea... -
Assembling domestically grown yakuzen ingredients: the difference between familiar vegetables and imported crude drugs
When people hear "yakuzen ingredients," many may picture imported dried goods bought at a Chinese-ingredient store, such as jujube and goji berries. Yet many yakuzen ingredients can in fact be assembled from familiar domestically grown vegetables and dried goods. The image that "you cannot start without ordering something special" is... -
What's the Difference Between Yakuzen and Kampo? A Gentle Look at Food vs. Crude Drugs, Purpose, and Philosophy
Have you ever thought, "Yakuzen and Kampo seem similar, but where do they differ?" Because both are rooted in Eastern medicine, they're easily confused, yet they are distinct things with clearly different roles. On this page, we organize the difference between yakuzen and Kampo through the lens of "food" and "medicine"... -
What is yakuzen? Its meaning, the difference from kampo, and the basics of starting with familiar ingredients explained
Many people feel that "yakuzen seems good for you, but doesn't it require special ingredients or crude drugs?" In fact, yakuzen is a style of eating based on the ideas of Eastern medicine that you can start with everyday vegetables from the supermarket. On this page, we explain what yakuzen is... -
山椒はうなぎ以外に何に使う？年4回、姿を変えて出回ります
粉山椒の小瓶が、うなぎを食べたとき以外に開かれないまま台所にある。よくある話です。 先に結論を書きます。山椒は年に4回、違う姿で出回る作物です。春の木の芽、4月の花山椒、5月の実山椒、秋の完熟した実。それぞれ向く料理が違います。「山椒＝うな... -
What is sansho powder? Its production method, how to choose commercial grade, and OEM and small-lot production explained
That fragrant powder sprinkled over grilled eel is sansho powder (powdered sansho). Because it lets you easily add a refreshing aroma and a lingering tongue tingle without adding moisture, inquiries such as "I want to use domestic sansho powder in small lots" and "I'm looking for a powder with a pronounced aroma" are increasing... -
Edible flower OEM | Commercial and wholesale, product development, and development into tea
Edible flowers that gorgeously decorate dishes and sweets. Their use in café desserts, gifts, drinks, and tea is expanding, and consultations about incorporating them into one's own products are increasing. Meanwhile, questions arise, such as "In what form should we source them?" "How do they differ from ornamental flowers?" "Can we make products at small lots?"... -
花椒とは？ホワジャオ・ホアジャオと山椒の違いを整理しました
麻婆豆腐のレシピに「花椒」と書いてあって、家にあるのは粉山椒。代用していいのか迷う。あるいは「ホアジャオ」「ホワジャオ」と表記がばらばらで、同じものを指しているのかどうかが分からない。 先に結論を書きます。山椒と花椒は、同じ属の別の植物で... -
Prepping and Removing Bitterness from Green Sansho: Boiling Time, Freezing, and Salt-Curing Tips
Fresh green sansho, which appears in early summer, is prized for its tingly numbness and refreshing aroma. But once you buy it, prepping comes first, and many people are unsure—"what do I do with the stems?", "how long do I boil it to remove the bitterness?", "how do I store it so it keeps for a year?" On this page, we cover prepping green sansho...