Dried Maitake

Maitake is a mushroom so highly regarded as a dashi ingredient, thanks to its strong aroma and umami, that it's said "matsutake for aroma, shimeji for taste." Dried maitake is made by slowly drying domestic raw material at low temperature, concentrating the flavor and umami. Rehydrated, its thick texture revives, and it can be used across a wide range of dishes and processed foods—stir-fries, takikomi gohan, soups.

Three Points of Care for Dried Maitake

Agriture's dried maitake is thoroughly quality-designed to be adopted as a commercial raw material. Here we introduce three perspectives we consider particular strengths.

Characteristics as a commercial raw material

We've organized the benefits of choosing dried maitake as an OEM raw material across six perspectives. Please use it as a reference both for replacing existing raw materials and for new product development.

Product specifications (commercial)

The product's basic specs are as follows. Cut specifications and packaging specs can be individually adjusted on a contract basis, so please consult us to match your OEM requirements. We have organized raw-material origin, best-before date, production method, and minimum lot so they can be checked at a glance.

Customization support

For each OEM project, we respond flexibly to changes in cut shape, powdering, small-lot prototyping, blending, and packaging specs. In addition to the response table below, please consult us about individual adjustments to match your requirements.

Variety, grower, and origin information

Agriture's dried maitake stabilizes quality through procurement from partner farms and contract growing regions. Please also refer to this when you want to use growing-region information at the product planning stage.

Low-temperature drying to protect the ingredient's natural flavor

At Agriture, to protect maitake's aroma, color, and umami, we adopt low-temperature hot-air drying with finely controlled temperature and air volume. Retaining components that are easily lost in high-temperature drying, through process design matched to the ingredient's nature, is our strength.

Because we take in the raw material at our own processing facility in Kyoto and manage the whole flow in one place—sorting, cutting, drying, and inspection—we can hold quality variation between lots to a minimum. Combining procurement from partner farmers and contracted regions, we can start the drying process while the raw material is still fresh, which ties directly to finished quality.

Commercial use cases

Because dried maitake has ample aroma, texture, and umami on its own, it can be developed into a wide range of products from a single ingredient. Here we introduce five representative use scenes.

Dashi and Seasoning Raw Material

It can be used as a raw material for maitake dashi, mushroom dashi, mentsuyu bases, takikomi gohan mix, and the like. Drying draws out guanylate (an umami component), allowing you to add natural umami without relying on MSG. Because you can use the soaking water and all, it also suits plant-based dashi design.

Soup and Retort Food Raw Material

It's widely adopted as an ingredient for mushroom soup, potage, retort curry, and freeze-dried miso soup. Because it rehydrates quickly in hot water, it goes well with instant foods, and it can be procured with a stable yield through room-temperature storage.

Prepared Food and Takikomi Gohan Raw Material

It can be used as an ingredient for mushroom rice, takikomi onigiri mix, and Japanese-style prepared foods. Usable with just rehydration, and without the short shelf life or prep effort of raw maitake, it keeps kitchen and production-line operations stable.

Functional foods and health foods

An ingredient easy to develop into foods and drinks that draw on a mushroom-derived ingredient feel. Powdered, it disperses better into beverages and supplements, usable in product designs that combine it with Japanese-dashi umami.

Powdered Seasonings and Seasonings

Processed into powder, it can be developed into seasoning powders, soup bases, furikake, and the like. Making it a fine powder improves dispersibility into dough and seasonings, and it can also be used as a secret ingredient that lifts umami without standing out.

Vegan and Plant-Based Foods

As a lead ingredient for vegan and plant-based products where you want to supplement umami without animal materials. The mushroom-derived umami and texture make for a satisfying finish.

Commercial usage and case examples

For commercial use, we can support from 1kg prototyping to 10kg-plus full production. We have a track record of adoption as an OEM raw material for dashi makers, seasoning makers, and retort food makers, and also as a main ingredient for functional foods. As a processing factory that specializes in handling domestic mushrooms, we can also handle projects that require growing-region information and cultivation records.

At Agriture, we provide end-to-end support on our own line in Kyoto, from raw-material selection and primary processing to cutting, powdering, blending, and small-portion packaging. Because we can adjust specifications to match an OEM client's spec sheet and design recipes for launching new brands, you can entrust everything with confidence from the prototype stage through volume production and ongoing supply.

We welcome first-time inquiries and considerations of switching from existing raw materials. For sample provision, quotes, and technical questions about the production process, feel free to reach out via the inquiry form.

Frequently Asked Questions (OEM & Commercial Dried Maitake)

We've gathered the questions we get most often about OEM and commercial dried maitake. Please use them as material for your judgment before contracting.