Raw materials & ingredients– category –

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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...

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...

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...

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"...

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...

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...

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 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?"...

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...

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...

You bought a lot of mushrooms while they were cheap, or you can't use up mushrooms you were given—that's when "drying" comes in handy. Drying mushrooms makes them keep longer and deepens their umami and stock flavor. On the other hand, questions like "sun or oven, which is better?", "I'm worried about mold," and "how long until they're fully dried?"...

Sansho is essential to eel, mapo tofu, and chirimen sansho. But even under the single name "sansho," it comes in various forms—green sansho, powdered sansho, and kinome—and people often wonder "what's the difference between green sansho and powdered sansho?" or "is it different from huajiao?" It's a spice that represents Japan, defined by its aroma and numbing tingle...

Tamogitake, sometimes called a "phantom mushroom" for its vivid yellow color and pleasant aroma. It's a mushroom long enjoyed in places like Hokkaido, and used in miso soup or takikomi gohan, it offers deep umami and stock flavor. On the other hand, questions come up—"how do I prep it?", "what's a classic way to eat it?", "is dried tamogitake..."

Dried maitake adds aroma and umami to takikomi gohan and miso soup. It keeps longer than fresh maitake, and even a small amount deepens a dish's flavor considerably. On the other hand, situations often leave people unsure—"should I rehydrate it?", "the soaking liquid turns dark—is that okay?", "can I make tempura with it?"—it's that kind of ingredient...

Ichimi togarashi, sprinkled over udon and soups. When it comes time to choose, people often wonder "what's the difference between ichimi and shichimi?" and "which should I use?" They look and are used similarly, but there's a clear difference in their ingredients and roles. On this page, we cover what ichimi togarashi is...

干し椎茸を戻そうとして、袋の裏を見ても「水で戻してお使いください」としか書かれていない。何時間かかるのかが分からないまま、とりあえず水に浸けて出かけることになります。 先に答えを書きます。産地の生産者団体が「5・5・10の法則」という覚え方を...

Chili powder, made by drying and grinding chili peppers, is a handy ingredient that lets you add heat, color, and aroma without moisture. Its uses are wide—flavoring ichimi, kimchi, soup, and snacks—and inquiries such as "I want to use domestic chili powder in small lots" and "I'm looking for a powder with stable heat and color" are...

家庭菜園の唐辛子が真っ赤になって、ざるに広げて軒下に置いた。1週間ほどでカラカラになったので瓶に入れた。ひと月後にふたを開けたら、白い綿のようなものがついていた。これは珍しい話ではありません。 先に結論を書きます。天日に干しただけでは、乾...

Wanting to make your own brand product using mushrooms, or to source dried mushrooms for restaurant use in bulk. What you can use in such cases is commercial mushroom wholesale and OEM (contract manufacturing). That said, without knowing "what forms they can be processed into" or "whether small lots are accepted," the first step...

We explain how to use and rehydrate dried mushrooms, covering the characteristics of each type such as shiitake, maitake, and enoki, when to rehydrate in water versus simmer them directly, uses in miso soup and takikomi gohan, and storage methods.

We explain how to rehydrate and eat dried kikurage (wood ear mushroom), covering rehydration in water or hot water, the tip of always heating it to prevent food poisoning, popular recipes like stir-fries, soups, and harusame, and storage methods.

スーパーの袋に「鷹の爪」と書いてあり、別の棚には「唐辛子」と書いてある。青果コーナーには「ししとう」と「青唐辛子」が隣り合って並び、東北の道の駅では同じものが「なんばん」と呼ばれている。名前が四つも五つもあって、どれが品種名でどれが総称...

Citrus powder, made by powdering the peel of yuzu, sudachi, or natsumikan, is a handy ingredient that lets you add aroma and acidity without moisture. In confectionery, beverage, and seasoning development, inquiries such as "I want to use domestic citrus powder in small lots" and "I'm looking for a powder with a pronounced aroma" are increasing. This page...

Wanting to make your own brand of mixed spice, or to make an original seasoning matched to a dish into a product. What you can use in such cases is spice OEM (contract manufacturing). That said, without knowing "what blends can be made" or "whether small lots are accepted," many staff hesitate at the first step...

Wanting to make your own brand of shichimi togarashi, or to make a local shichimi that leverages regional ingredients into a product. What you can use in such cases is shichimi OEM (contract manufacturing). That said, without knowing "what blends can be made" or "whether small lots are accepted," not a few staff hesitate at the first step...

Wanting to make an original seasoning to use on snacks, deli sides, popcorn, and the like. What you can use in such cases is seasoning OEM (contract manufacturing). That said, without knowing "what tastes can be made" or "whether small lots are accepted," not a few staff hesitate at the first step...

Wanting to have your own brand of dashi, or to make an original dashi pack to use in a restaurant. What you can use in such cases is dashi OEM (contract manufacturing). That said, without knowing "what dashi can be made" or "how much the minimum lot and cost are," not a few staff...

みかん、ゆず、すだち、かぼす、レモン。売り場に並ぶ柑橘は名前も形もばらばらで、「これは何の仲間なのか」「すだちとかぼすはどちらが酸っぱいのか」と迷う場面がよくあります。調べてみると、サイトごとに分け方が違っていて、かえって混乱することも...

揚げたての唐揚げに搾る。味噌汁の椀のふちでひとしぼりする。大分では当たり前のその使い方が、県外の食卓にはなかなか届いていません。店頭で見かけるのは年に数か月だけ、という印象を持っている人も多いはずです。 ところが大分県は、露地・貯蔵・ハウ...

We explain how to make and choose vegetable furikake, covering an easy homemade recipe using dried vegetables or leftover vegetables, salt-free and additive-free ideas that are easy for children to eat, and how to read the ingredients on store-bought products—tips for a furikake packed with vegetables that tastes good too.

焼きたてのサンマにきゅっと搾る。そうめんに薄い輪切りを浮かべる。すだちは、ひとしぼりで料理の輪郭が変わる小さな柑橘です。ただ、店先に並ぶ時期は思っているより長く、かぼすとの違いも、保存できる日数も、調べるほど情報がばらけます。 このページ...

Wanting to make your own brand of furikake. Wanting to try an original product that leverages regional vegetables at small lots. What you can use in such cases is furikake OEM (contract manufacturing). That said, without knowing "where to request it" or "how much the minimum lot and cost are," you stop at the first step...

A dried-vegetable manufacturer explains the types and flavors of edible flowers, how they differ from ornamental flowers, how to choose safe ones, and how to eat and store them. We also introduce ways to enjoy them at home and uses for dried edible flowers.

In new-product prototyping, test sales, and novelties, there are many scenes where you want to make just a small amount of original packaging. Previously, printing required a large lot, but with the spread of on-demand printing, it has become possible to make original packaging even at small lots. This article...

As calls for environmental consideration rise, moves to switch packaging to sustainable ones are spreading even among food makers. That said, with many options such as paper conversion and biomass materials, there are not a few scenes where you agonize over the balance with cost and protecting the contents. In this article, sustainable...

Food packaging has several options—shape differences such as three-side seal, stand pouch, and pillow bag, plus material differences such as PET, aluminum, and nylon, and even differences in the function to block oxygen and light. Even with the same contents, the chosen packaging changes the shelf life, appearance, and cost, so the types...

Many people want to buy dried mugwort for yomogi mochi, mugwort tea, or yomogi steam therapy but are unsure “where it’s sold” or “which one to choose.” Dried mugwort is hard to find on supermarket shelves, so buying it online or at specialty shops is the basic route. In this article, in Kyoto...

Yomogi mochi (kusa mochi), a classic spring Japanese sweet. Fresh mugwort is in season only in spring, but with dried mugwort you can make yomogi mochi easily any time of year. Since it’s pre-treated and the harshness has been removed, you just rehydrate it and mix it into the dough. In this article, in Kyoto, handling the processing of dried vegetables...