The Origin of HANGOBEI Grocery Store
Ltd., located in Sanjo City, roughly in the center of Niigata Prefecture, began its business as a grocer dealing in malt, fruits and vegetables, and grains in 1811 (Bunka 8), during the Edo period (1603-1868). At that time, brewing malt and controlling temperature and bacteria required a high level of technology. It is said that the origin of this business started when the first generation, Hangobei, started a business using malt called “chinkouji,” in which he received one square of rice, brewed it, and exchanged it for one square of malt. They also began making miso and pickles by utilizing the techniques of controlling temperature and bacteria cultivated in the malt-making process, and started dealing in local special vegetables as well.
Making use of technology for “delicious food for everyone, anytime
As the times changed and households stopped making their own soy sauce and miso, miso and soy sauce began to replace them, and along with pickles, became the mainstay of sales. As food became more Westernized, sales of miso and soy sauce began to decline. Then, in 2011, the flooding of the Igarashi River damaged the miso and soy sauce warehouses at the time, and that was the end of miso and soy sauce production.
Currently, the company’s main business is processed foods such as pickles.
Today, pickles and other processed foods are the mainstay of the company’s sales, but it also continues to utilize its grocery store aspect as a wholesaler of fresh vegetables for restaurants and a middleman who wholesales cut vegetables to supermarkets.
In this snowy area, there is not much variation in the vegetables available in the winter, so the company has devised a way to make a wide variety of vegetables available even during the winter season by pickling fresh vegetables in salt. Through Nojima Shokuhin’s processing technology, even those vegetables that are not widely available in the market due to their short harvest season or freshness can now be enjoyed by anyone at any time of the year.
Niigata is Japan’s largest eggplant producer. Eggplant Processing: High Technological Strength
The know-how accumulated since the company’s establishment has enabled Nojima Foods to successfully commercialize “Juzen Eggplant,” which was considered difficult to commercialize due to its poor shelf life.
In fact, Niigata Prefecture is Japan’s largest eggplant producer. Juzen eggplants for pickles are smaller than most eggplants. They are also known as “nashi nasu” (pear eggplant), and are widely loved by local residents. Nojima Shokuhin is said to be the only company in the world that handles everything from cultivation to processing.
New Products Promoting Niigata’s Attractiveness
The fresh vegetable procurement routes and vegetable preservation and processing technologies that Nojima Shokuhin has cultivated over its history as a grocer are now being developed into new products that are being sold throughout Japan.
The “Grocery Store Dressing” series was developed as a new product for the next generation of Nojima Foods in the midst of the dwindling pickle consumption market.
In order to deliver fresh vegetables to consumers nationwide, the company had to solve the inevitable problem of freshness, such as transportation time, which could not be overcome. By choosing to make a dressing, the company was able to ensure the longevity of the product and expand its sales channels. The company also decided to take the plunge, believing that the convenience of the dressing would make it easier for people of all ages to accept the product and win over more fans. The company aims to expand nationwide under the brand “Yaoya Hangobei,” named after the first generation Hangobei.
Attention to making the best use of the taste of the ingredients themselves
The lineup consists of six kinds of vegetables and three kinds of fruits. The lineup consists of three kinds of vegetables, three kinds of fruits, “Carrots under snow” whose sweetness is enhanced by wintering under snow, “Uonuma Wasabi” cultivated in the subsoil water of Mt. Echigohime” strawberries are large, high in sugar content, have a gentle acidity, and a mellow aroma. We were particular about making the most of the characteristics of the ingredients themselves. In order to bring out the original taste, aroma, and color of the ingredients, no chemical seasonings, synthetic preservatives, or synthetic coloring agents are used, and a non-heating process is employed.
As can be seen from the lineup, the company is dedicated to making people aware of the deliciousness of Niigata’s unique vegetables and fruits.
Niigata’s delicious vegetables are not available outside of the prefecture
There are many delicious vegetables in Niigata, but most of them are consumed within the prefecture. That is why they are not famous throughout Japan,” says Yusuke Nojima of the company. Perhaps due to its low name recognition, the company struggled when it first began selling the dressing, but once it was used in the first-class in-flight meals of a major airline, inquiries came in from supermarkets in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and the product gradually gained recognition.
Koshihikari is not the only underlying strength of Niigata’s agricultural products.
Niigata has a strong image as a rice-producing region, with Koshihikari and other rice varieties often hidden from view, but the variety of crops harvested in Niigata is actually quite rich. In the Edo period (1603-1867), Niigata was a port of call for the Kitamae Ship, which brought in a variety of crops from both cold and warm regions, from east, west, south, and north. With cold winters and hot summers, abundant snowmelt, and fertile land on the lower reaches of the Shinano River, there were clear reasons for the development of agricultural technology, both in terms of weather and geography. In the past, people did not understand the preciousness of something they had taken for granted for so long. Our channels for purchasing local vegetables are one of the strengths of a company with such a long history.” That is why Mr. Nojima says he wants to take this opportunity to make the taste of Niigata Prefecture agricultural products more readily available to people all over Japan.
Dressing that enhances dishes
The “Grocery Store Dressing” series can be used not only as a simple dressing for salads and other vegetables, but also for meat and fish dishes. For example, after lightly salting fried meatballs and colorful vegetables such as bell peppers, use “strawberry” as a flavor enhancer to bring out the sweetness of the meat. Also, simply sprinkle “Uonuma Wasabi” on white fish carpaccio, etc. to complete the dish. It can also be used as a sauce for sweets, such as milk pudding, and can be used in a variety of dishes. Depending on your ingenuity, your dishes will be enhanced. The flavor of the dressing can also bring out the essence of the vegetable itself. For example, the dressing for carrots under the snow removes the off-taste of the carrots and their sweetness stands out more than if the carrots were eaten as they are. Furthermore, because the original color of the ingredients is preserved, the dressing is visually vibrant.
Aiming for Further Evolution
Now, even more new efforts are underway. This is the development of products utilizing “flash freezing” technology. By flash freezing at -30°C, the cells are not destroyed and the deliciousness of the ingredients is preserved. As long as the defrosting process is carefully followed, it is possible to reproduce the taste of the product as it was before freezing. By making full use of this technology, “Yaoyahan” is striving to let people all over Japan know the deliciousness of vegetables and fruits that are familiar to Niigata residents and that they cannot usually taste, and to continue to promote the appeal of Niigata through dressings so that Niigata producers will be more energetic. We hope that you will taste the world brewed by “Gobei”.
