Raw materials & ingredients– category –

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...

Do you ever find yourself unsure how to use sansho beyond eel, or wondering "what dishes go with green sansho or kinome?" Sansho suits different dishes depending on its form—powder, berry, or leaf—and once you know how to use it, you can bring its refreshing aroma to everything from Japanese cuisine to meat and fish dishes and pasta. On this page...

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?"...

The source of the tongue-numbing kick in mapo tofu and dan dan noodles is huajiao. It looks a lot like Japanese sansho, so many people wonder "are sansho and huajiao the same?" or "can I substitute one for the other?" In fact, while they're in the same family, their aroma, numbing tingle, and culinary role differ greatly...

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...

Dried shiitake supports the deep umami of simmered dishes, takikomi gohan, and miso soup. It's a handy dry good to keep on hand, but many situations leave people unsure—"what's the right way to rehydrate it?", "can the soaking liquid be used as dashi?", "how long is the best-before date?" On this page, we cover dried shiitake...

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...

Dried chili, made by drying red chili peppers, keeps well and lets you enjoy heat and aroma year-round. But when you actually go to handle it, questions often come up—"how do I make it at home?", "do I rehydrate it before use?", "how long does it keep?" On this page, we cover dried chili...

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.

Takanotsume, habanero, shishito, Manganji togarashi. Even under the single name "chili," the lineup is very wide, ranging from hot to not hot at all, and people often wonder "what variety is this?" or "are takanotsume and chili the same?" On this page, we cover the types of chili—Japanese...

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...

Mandarin, yuzu, sudachi, kabosu, lemon. Even under the single word "citrus," the lineup is very rich. Many people have been unsure at the store or in a recipe—"what citrus is this?" or "how do sudachi and kabosu differ?" On this page, starting from the broad categories of citrus...

Give it a good squeeze over grilled fish or hot pot and its abundant juice and mellow acidity elevate the dish—that's kabosu. It's an acidic citrus so rooted in daily life in Oita that people even squeeze it into miso soup, yet many are unsure—"how does it differ from sudachi?" or "can I not use it once it's out of season?" On this page...

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.

Just a good squeeze over grilled fish or somen makes a dish's aroma bloom instantly—that's sudachi. It's an acidic citrus essential to the summer-to-autumn table in Tokushima, yet many are unsure—"how does it differ from kabosu?" or "can I not get it once it's out of season?" On this page, we cover the origin of sudachi's name...

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...

We explain how to use dried mugwort—from rehydrating and amounts, to popular recipes such as kusa mochi and yomogi dumplings, mugwort tea and mugwort baths, storage methods and best-before dates, and how to choose without going wrong. A Kyoto dried vegetable manufacturer summarizes tips for using up domestic, low-temperature-dried mugwort without waste, at home or commercially.

Dried fruit prices vary greatly by where you buy, volume, item, and growing region. From a 30g supermarket pack to a large 500g volume at an online mall to domestically grown dried fruit from a specialty D2C brand, the unit price can differ several times over even for the same item. This article covers the pricing when buying dried fruit...

When choosing a commercial dried fruit supplier, judging by price alone often leads to regret over "sugar content, additive-free status, lot size, and lead time." Because the optimal drying method for dried fruit changes greatly with the sugar content (Brix value) of the fresh fruit used as raw material, whether the supplier understands the fruit's sugar content...

Maca powder is a commercial raw material made by drying and finely powdering the root of the functional plant maca (scientific name: Lepidium meyenii) in the mustard family. It contains minerals such as amino acids, iron, zinc, and calcium, and glucosinolate-type compounds distinctive of the mustard family, and plays a leading role in health domains such as green juice, health drinks, and protein mi...