Nara Prefecture Miwa Somen Industrial Cooperative
TOC
About the Nara Prefecture Miwa Somen Industrial Cooperative
The Nara Prefecture Miwa Somen Industrial Cooperative is an organization that upholds the hand-stretched method passed down for generations in the Miwa area, said to be Japan's oldest somen-producing region. Today about 80 producers are members, making Miwa somen with a commitment to fineness, firmness, and smoothness of throat feel. The region's natural conditions, such as a climate with large temperature swings and dry winds, combined with the craftsmen's honed skills, give rise to high-quality somen. While valuing tradition, it is also active in product development that incorporates local ingredients and new processing techniques, drawing attention as a presence that helps promote the region's appeal.
Official site:https://www.miwasoumen-kumiai.com/
Powder processing of purple chili pepper
This time, Agriture undertook the powder processing of purple chili pepper, one of the Yamato vegetables, as a raw material for the "Yamato-vegetable somen" that the cooperative is developing. Purple chili pepper has a deep color and discolors easily with heat, so the design of drying temperature and time is crucial. We first checked its fresh state and adjusted the drying conditions to its moisture content and fibrousness. To preserve the color, we dried it slowly at a lower temperature than usual, aiming for a finish that retains a vivid purple even after milling.
See the prototype announcement article here
About Yamato vegetables
Yamato vegetables are a collective term forheirloom vegetablescentered on native varieties passed down in Nara, deeply tied to the region's history and climate. Many varieties, such as purple chili pepper, Yamato kikuna, Yamato mana, and Yamato imo, have vivid colors or distinctive aromas, and adding them to dishes creates accents of color and flavor. However, because production and distribution volumes are limited, some are little known outside the region. Turning such vegetables into powder not only raises shelf life and puts them in a form easy to use in processed foods and restaurants, but is also an effective means of expanding the value of regional specialties.
Using vegetable powder in products
Vegetable powder is drawing attention as an ingredient that can add natural color to noodles, baked goods, and dough-based items. Yamato vegetables with distinctive colors, such as purple chili pepper, offer the great advantage of producing natural color without coloring agents when made into powder. In powder form it mixes evenly into dough and its flavor is kept subdued, so it is easy to use even in delicate foods like somen.
It also pairs well with seasonal and region-limited product rollouts, an ingredient that broadens the scope of product-making. Agriture carries out the design needed for powdering, such as adjusting particle size to the application and preserving color through low-temperature drying, providing processing that makes the most of each ingredient's character.
Support for powdering by Agriture
Agriture handles a wide range of powder-processing OEM using domestic vegetables. Because we can carry out everything from raw material selection to drying, milling, and fine-powdering in-house, we can create the optimal powder for each application. Required particle size and flavor differ by business type across confectionery, baking, seasonings, beverages, and health foods, so we design and finish down to the details, including adjusting fineness and color and preserving flavor through low-temperature drying.
We also handle prototyping, and can discuss small-lot processing and powdering that makes the most of an ingredient's characteristics. The fact that it finishes into a natural powder that keeps the ingredient's color and aroma with no additives makes it well suited to developing domestic-oriented and natural products. Because you can entrust drying, milling, and raw-material processing together, it is an OEM service easy to use for launching new products and developing private-brand items.
About powder processing:https://agriture.jp/powder/
