Monday, January 31, 2022
A project is underway to brew craft beer (happoshu) using sunflower seed oil press cake, an agricultural product of Hokuryu Town. A prototype craft beer (happoshu), "Hokuryu Sunflower Biscuit," has been completed and was unveiled to some of the people involved, along with a tasting session.
The project is being undertaken by Hokuryu residents Akihiro Adachi (CEO of Ryusei Farm Co., Ltd.) and Minoru Nagai (President of Kitamizuho Producers Association and director of the JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu District).
Prototype craft beer (low-malt beer) "Hokuryu Himawari Biscuit"
The label, which is inspired by the image of "Cheers with a beer in hand in a sunlit sunflower field!", was designed by Adachi using a computer to turn a photograph into a watercolor painting.
The development of Hokuryu Himawari Biscuit beer
New product development using agricultural products from Hokuryu Town
Akihiro Adachi, representative director of Ryusei Farm, and Minoru Nagai, chairman of the Kita Mizuho Producers Association, have been developing products to meet the demand for souvenirs made with high-quality agricultural products from Hokuryu Town, such as "Rice (Kita Mizuho) Ice Cream" and "Niseko," a pure rice sake made from sake rice grown at Ryusei Farm.
As a further project, we are considering recycling items with little usability, such as sunflower seed oil residue, sorting waste, and rejected products. With the aim of reducing food waste and promoting sustainable manufacturing, we are working on developing new products.
Uses sunflower seed oil extraction residue for sunflower oil
This time, we're trying our hand at developing a product using sunflower oil residue!
At first, they considered making sweets using sunflower seed oil residue, but they abandoned the idea as it was difficult to eat due to the rough texture that remained in the mouth, possibly due to the seed skin being quite hard.
As we continued to hold various discussions with the relevant parties, the idea of using it for craft beer came up. We immediately brought the idea to Sumikawa Beer Brewery in Sapporo around December last year, and they immediately decided to give it a positive consideration!
Sumikawa Brewery is a brewery that produces a wide variety of innovative beers, including melon beer and watermelon beer. When they brought in some roasted sunflower seed oil cake, they were immediately convinced that it would work, and so they began trial brewing.
"This craft beer has a sunflower nut aroma and a strong bitter and rich taste.
In line with modern demand, I hope to be able to reuse even less valuable food waste. I have a liquor retail license, so I am currently planning to brew a second and third series of craft beers using the scraps left over from sorting Kurosengoku soybeans, rejected sunflower watermelons, and broken sunflower rice.
"Whatever challenge I take on, having fun is my driving force. And if I'm not having fun, it won't be conveyed to others, so I enjoy what I do. I hope that by continuing to take on various new challenges, I can help to liven up the town of Hokuryu as a whole," said Adachi, speaking enthusiastically about his aspirations.
Akihiro Adachi and Minoru Nagai, the union president, have collaborated to launch a project and are working on developing a new product!
Basking in the dazzling sunlight, toast with a beer in hand in the glittering sunflower village!!!
May bright and shining days come soon!
With heartfelt love, gratitude and prayers for Hokuryu Himawari Biscuit, a low-malt beer with the rich aroma and flavor of sunflower nuts...
contact address
Ryusai Farm Co., Ltd.
・23-18 Wa, Hokuryu-cho, Uryu-gun, Hokkaido
・Tel: 0164-34-2837 Fax: 0164-34-5872
・Email: ryusai.farm◇gj8.so-net.ne.jp (Please replace ◇ with @)
Related articles and sites
We deliver a cup of happiness from a small brewery in Sapporo to all over Japan. "The beer I want to make" "The style of beer I want to introduce to my customers"...
◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi
