Producer: Asuzac Foods
Prefecture: Nagano
For centuries Nagano’s Zenkoji Temple has been offering this amazake (non-alcohol sweet sake) to its patrons as part of their New Year’s celebrations. This sweet rice beverage combines cooled whole-grain rice with a traditional Japanese fermenting microorganism called koji. It has a delightful slightly thick texture with a touch of gentle sweetness and fermented flavor. For over 60 years Asuzac Foods has been producing dried and freeze-dried goods, including fruits, vegetables, soup mixes, beverage mixes, and confections. Mindful of the environment, the company believes that drying its products makes them healthier and results in less waste, benefiting customers and the environment.
Ingredients: Rice koji (manufactured in Japan), fructose, sugar, dextrin, salt, starch/antioxidant (V.E)
Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free, Soy-free
Suggested uses: In a cup, combine the block of koji amazake mix with 100ml (~½ cup) of boiling or cold water. Let rehydrate for at least 1min and stir well before serving.
(乾燥七草)
Prefecture: Hiroshima
After indulging over the New Year holiday, many people in Japan enjoy a simple bowl of nanakusa gayu (seven-herb rice porridge) on January 7th to help settle their stomachs. However, finding the seven traditional herbs fresh outside Japan is nearly impossible. This special dried mixture allows you to enjoy the local mountain herbs in the comfort of your own home!Kodama Ikiiki Farm grows entirely organic products in the countryside of Fukuyama City in Hiroshima Prefecture, an area known for its fresh agriculture. In addition to their commitment to producing high-quality products, Kodama Ikiiki Farm works to create new and inventive ways for people to enjoy their local harvests. Ingredients: Daikon (radish) leaves (domestic), salt, suzuna (turnip) leaves ( Hokkaido Prefecture), hakobera (chickweed) (domestic), seri (water dropwort) (domestic), nazuna (shepherd’s purse) (Hokkaido Prefecture), hotokenoza (nipplewort) (Hokkaido Prefecture), gokyo (cudweed) (Hokkaido Prefecture)
Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free, Soy-free
Suggested uses: Create traditional Nanakusa Gayu (Seven Herb Rice Porridge) at home using the recipe provided or add as a seasoning to miso soup, as a topping on egg dishes like omelets and scrambled eggs.
Simmered Dried Daikon (Japanese Radish)
(切り干し大根の煮物)
Producer: Maruai Foods
Prefecture: Tokyo
This simple yet flavorful side dish is a true taste of Japanese home cooking! Dried daikon radish is simmered in a flavorful soy sauce-based broth with slices of earthy, umami-rich shiitake mushrooms. Carrots and soybeans emphasize the natural sweetness of the daikon, while ribbons of konjac (a firm jelly-like food made from yams) and fried tofu add a delightful chewy textureMaruai Foods believes food is the starting point for nurturing the body and mind and is proud to offer additive-free products made with domestically grown goods. The company believes that sometimes simple is best and food does not have to be flashy or glamorous to bring a smile to your face. With a wide selection of ready-to-eat side dishes and pickles, Maruai Foods hopes to make meals memorable and convey the wonders of Japan with each delicious bite.
Ingredients: Dried daikon strips (domestically produced), carrots (domestic), soybeans (domestic), soy sauce, sugar, konjac (domestically produced), dried shiitake mushrooms (sliced) (domestic), fried tofu (domestically produced), fermented rice seasoning, sesame oil, plum vinegar, calcium hydroxide (konjac coagulant), tofu coagulant (magnesium chloride) (contains wheat, soy, and sesame)
Vegan, Dairy-free
Suggested uses: Enjoy warmed, chilled, or at room temperature as a side dish or part of a bento box.
Homemade Kimuchi Seasoning
(キムチ革命)
Producer: Tarunoaji
Prefecture: Wakayama
This seasoning allows you to create delicious kimuchi, the Japanese version of the spicier Korean fermented kimchi, and is made using authentic Korean chili peppers and a blend of umami-rich ingredients.
In Wakayama’s picturesque countryside, Tarunoaji uses all-natural ingredients and traditional fermentation methods to create unique pickled products with old-fashioned flavor. As part of the “slow food” movement, Tarunoaji is committed to producing healthy food while focusing on co-existence and co-prosperity with nature.
Ingredients: Dried chili powder (domestic), salt, sugar, koji powder, dried vegetable powder (garlic, onion, ginger, green onion), starch hydrolysate, yeast extract, powdered brewed vinegar, sesame, fish sauce powder, shiitake mushroom powder, kelp powder, bonito (skipjack tuna) powder, shrimp powder (contains shrimp and sesame)
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free
Suggested uses: To make kimuchi add 10g of this kimuchi seasoning to 100g of cut vegetables (Eg. Chinese cabbage, radish, cucumber) in a plastic bag and mix until thoroughly coated. Remove air from the bag and seal. Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hrs (better if for 24 hrs) and enjoy as is or on rice. Adjust the amount of seasoning and fermentation time to suit your taste. This seasoning also works well in a kimuchi hot pot, simply add 1 packet to 700ml of water (makes 3 servings), add your favorite ingredients such as chicken, tofu, napa cabbage, spring onion, mushrooms, carrots, radish, etc., bring to a boil and serve once the ingredients are cooked. The seasoning can also be sprinkled on fried rice.
Matcha Jelly
(国産抹茶の本葛ゼリー)
Producer: Yamaei
Prefecture: Shizuoka
This delightful jelly dessert features a blend of two famous teas: matcha and kakegawa. Beloved the world around, matcha provides its mellow grassiness, natural bittersweetness and vibrant green color. Kakegawa tea, a specialty of Shizuoka, is a type of deep steamed sencha known for its rich aroma and flavor. Together they are thickened with domestic kudzu (arrowroot) powder and lightly sweetened to create an earthy, sweet treat!
Founded as a fertilizer company in 1927, Yamayei has a longstanding connection with Shizuoka’s abundant nature. In 1980, the company shifted to producing green tea, applying decades of knowledge to its growing process and obtaining its JAS organic certification. Today the company has received a wide array of awards from the minister of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries and the governor of Shizuoka for its high-quality green tea and tea-based food items.
Ingredients: Sugar (sugar beets (domestic)), matcha (tea (domestic)), powdered tea (tea (produced in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture)), kudzu (arrowroot) starch, modified starch
Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free, Soy-free
Suggested uses: Chill in the fridge and enjoy. Can also be placed in a heat-safe bowl and microwaved for 1min at 600W to create a warm, thick soup-like dessert.
(キャラメルおかき アーモンド)
Producer: Darumadou Seika
Prefecture: Gifu
Ingredients: Glutinous rice (domestic), almonds, sugars (sugar, starch syrup), butter, cream, honey, salt (contains dairy products and almonds)
Gluten-Free, Soy-free
Suggested uses: Enjoy as is. Pairs well with coffee or tea.
(きなこおかき)
Producer: Darumadou Seika
Prefecture: Gifu
These bite-sized rice crackers from Darumadou Seika are lightly sweetened with sugar and honey and then generously dusted with kinako (roasted soybean powder), which adds its signature roasted, nutty flavor.
Ingredients: Glutinous rice (domestic), sugars (sugar, starch syrup), soybeans, butter, cream, honey salt
Gluten-Free
Suggested uses: Enjoy as is. Pairs well with coffee and tea.
(イチカラそば)
Producer: Ichikara Farms
Prefecture: Niigata
Toshikoshi soba (lit. “year-crossing soba”) is enjoyed on New Year’s Eve in Japan as the noodles are easily cut, representing a letting go of the past year. This instant toshikoshi soba is made from whole buckwheat seeds organically grown by Ichikara Farms, which gives the noodles a nutty, buttery flavor. The soup, made without preservatives, is full of flavor thanks to the addition of umami-rich ingredients such as soy sauce, bonito flakes, and kelp powder. Slurping these noodles helps to enhance the aroma and taste and is also considered a compliment to the chef!
Ichikara Farms is located in Uonuma in the snow country of Niigata Prefecture. The area was devastated by a large earthquake in 2004, yet the founder was able to transform an abandoned pasture into 30 hectares of organic buckwheat farmland while also supporting the local farmers and producers throughout his supply chain.
Ingredients: [Noodle] Wheat flour (domestic), buckwheat flour (100% organic buckwheat from Niigata Prefecture), vegetable oil (palm oil), potato starch (domestic, non-GMO), vegetable protein (non-GMO soybean, salt (Kagawa Prefecture) [Soup] Sugar (non-GMO Hokkaido beets), salt (Kanagawa Prefecture), powdered soy sauce (domestic, non-GMO soybeans), yeast extract, bonito flakes, kelp powder, malt extract, green onion, mackerel, antioxidant (vitamin E from soybeans) (includes wheat and soybeans)
Dairy-free
Suggested uses: Boil 450ml (~2 cups) of water, add the noodles, and boil for 2½ mins. Prepare the soup by mixing the soup powder and 350ml (~1½ cups) of boiled water in a bowl. When the noodles are cooked, drain the hot water and add the noodles to the soup. Alternatively, put the noodles and soup powder in a bowl, pour in 400ml (~1⅔ cups) of boiled water, and wait 4½ mins. Or cook the noodles in 450ml (~ 2 cups) of boiling water for 2½ mins, turn off the heat, add the soup powder, mix and serve.