What is Setouchi Powder Lab?

We want more people to know about the benefits of sugarcane and fruit grown in the Setouchi region.

Did you know that we have a "lab" where people work tirelessly every day on research with a passionate heart?

The name is "Setouchi Powder Lab (hereinafter referred to as Powder Lab)".

This is the company that operates HIYORI WASANBON together with HIYORI SEISAKUSHO.

Masatoshi Ishino, the representative of Powder Lab, was originally a member of Hiyori Seisakusho.

From the beginning, they have maintained their emphasis on "trying things out", visiting and negotiating directly with stores that they feel would like to carry Wasanbon, and holding "Wasanbon-making workshops" to help more people learn about Wasanbon.

After that, the company was spun off as Powder Lab to separate responsibilities.

In addition to our traditional sales activities and efforts to popularize Wasanbon, we have begun to focus on operating an online store and researching and developing the ingredients that are essential to HIYORI WASANBON.

Under the same theme of Wasanbon, Hiyori Seisakusho focused on traditional crafts and craft products such as wooden confectionery molds, while Powder Lab focused on the raw material, sugar cane.

" Now, we are working on a variety of projects with the aim of developing agricultural products in general in the Setouchi region, including sugar cane."

Grow and think for yourself

Shikoku Chuo City in Ehime Prefecture. As its name suggests, it faces all of the prefectures of Shikoku and is a rich city blessed with both the sea and the mountains.

Powder Lab began utilizing abandoned farmland here in 2017.

With the cooperation of the LOHAS Business Association, we are engaged in cultivating sugarcane, refining it into brown sugar and white sugar, powdering it (brown sugar powder, wasanbon sugar), and developing related products such as brown sugar and molasses.

"Generally, sugarcane production and sugar refining are separate processes, so there are few people who can say they know everything about it.

There are many things you won't understand unless you practice a consistent flow, so it really feels like every day is research."

For example, molasses, which is obtained during the sugar refining process.

This precious nectar has a rich sweetness and a fragrance reminiscent of western liquor, but it has not been put to much use until now. I wondered if there was some way to make use of it...

When I consulted with Bakery Heidi, a Tokyo-based bakery I had met through a chance encounter, they kindly came all the way to Kagawa, observed the sugar refining process, and came up with a recipe.

The resulting Wasanbon bread is a luxurious delicacy with moist, fragrant baked dough that is flavored with molasses and wasanbon. It's so delicious that it can make anyone happy.

Now, having heard about our success, other bakeries have started contacting us saying they would like to bake bread using molasses.

"When we talk to sensible people like Heidi about sugar cane, they give us ideas for incorporating it into all sorts of things.

I would like to continue acquiring more knowledge in order to create opportunities for such new developments."

Fruit powder that can only be found here

Powder Lab's other main business is the manufacture and sale of fruit powder.

The juice squeezed from fresh fruit is mixed with starch and sprayed into a mist. The water is then removed with hot air to create a powder packed with natural flavor.

This [spray drying method] is used to process agricultural products grown in the Seto Inland Sea region into products that are easier to use.

Fruit powder originated with HIYORI's Kamome Sambon.

A project was launched to create a local Wasanbon flavor on Teshima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea, and while searching for ingredients they came across Teshima Lemon, made by Tsutsumi Ikue (CEO of til Inc.).

The juicy, pesticide-free lemons are so delicious that you'll want to make them into wasanbon sweet sake as is.

However, there is a limit to the amount of water that can be added to the batter when using wasanbon, so if the lemon juice is left in the batter, the lemon flavor will end up being weak.

I also tried peel powder made from the skin, but there was something different about it.

While searching for a way to turn fruit juice into powder, we were lucky to discover a facility in Kagawa Prefecture that had the equipment to perform the spray drying process!

I immediately completed the registration process and devoted myself to making prototypes of lemon powder.

"After making a ton of fine adjustments, such as the type of starch to mix with the fruit juice, and the temperature and strength of the hot air, it finally took shape. I think it took about two years.

Now, we have installed the equipment in our powder lab, and we are receiving orders for fruit powders other than lemon from various confectionery shops and companies."

You might think that orders for food manufacturing will only be accepted if you order a large quantity, but Powder Lab can manufacture in extremely small lots of just 100g.

It is also recommended for small privately run restaurants or chefs who want to make small quantities of special menu items.

We often hear requests such as, "I want to use fruit from XX Farm" from confectioners who are particular about their sweets.

"By listening closely to their voices, we naturally came to the conclusion that we would like to handle small lots as well.

The farmers also seem to be looking forward to seeing what kind of powder will be made from the crops they have grown.

I'm really happy when someone tastes it and says, "The aroma is still there!"

Agricultural produce tastes best when it is fresh, but because it is seasonal, it is not always available. On that point, if it is powdered, it can be used anytime, and even in products where you want to limit the moisture content, such as wasanbon and chocolate, you can make the fruit stand out without adding flavorings. For farmers, it is much easier to handle than the cost of freezing fruit juice.

" If there's a time when you can't use or store produce, we hope you'll remember our powder..."

A delicious experience while experiencing tradition

In 2023, Powder Lab took on the challenge of making "washi" paper from the fibers of refined sugarcane.

It seems that Ishino's research on sugarcane has finally gone beyond the realm of food.

"Shikokuchuo City, where we grow sugarcane, has long been a town where papermaking has been popular. Until now, sugarcane fiber had been used as fertilizer for fields, but we decided to combine it with local traditions and conduct an experiment with the people of Ehime Prefecture.

In the future, we plan to review the papermaking process to stabilize the quality and improve the product so that it is more accessible to everyone."

Yes, sugar cane and wasanbon have continued to be closely intertwined with various local cultures and histories.

When learning about these things and thinking about new ways to use them, there is never just one "perspective" on ideas.

"That's why Wasanbon is perfect for independent research. During workshops, we explain about Wasanbon using handmade picture stories and videos, and the children watching will dig deeper into the subject matter that interests them."

The reason why Ishino seems to shine as he says this is because he himself has always maintained curiosity at the root of his activities.

Perhaps it is because they share this commonality that Hiyori Seisakusho and Powder Lab are able to move forward at a comfortable rhythm.

It's fun to learn about and delicious to eat. I hope that many people will continue to experience the charms of Wasanbon!