A world first! "Kurosengoku Soy Meat" now on sale! New menu items developed by restaurants in Hokuryu Town!

Monday, December 7, 2020

New release! "Kurosengoku Soy Meat." Restaurants in Hokuryu Town are working on developing new Kurosengoku Soy Meat menu items!

Plant-based meat

Recently, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social conditions and the environment surrounding eating habits have been undergoing major changes.

The spread of COVID-19 has dealt a major blow to the meat industry, with meat prices soaring due to unstable supplies and consumers increasingly turning away from meat.

Meanwhile, the development of "plant-based meat" has been progressing mainly in the United States for the past 10 years and has grown rapidly.

One plant-based meat that is currently attracting worldwide attention is soy meat, which is made primarily from soybeans.

Soy meat

Soybeans, known in Japan as the meat of the fields, have been used since ancient times to make tofu, miso, soy sauce and other products, making them a familiar food ingredient for Japanese people.

Soy meat, made from soybeans, is made by squeezing out the oil from soybeans, then heating, pressurizing and drying at high temperatures.

Compared to meat, it is low in calories, low in fat, and high in protein, and is also rich in dietary fiber, minerals, vitamin B, and iron, making it an excellent food ingredient.

The world's first! Kurosengoku Soy Meat

In response to this trend, the Kurosengoku Business Cooperative Association (Chairman Takada Yukio) in Hokuryu Town has begun developing "Kurosengoku Soy Meat" using Kurosengoku soybeans, a local specialty of the town.

There were no processing companies in Hokkaido that could turn Kurosengoku soybeans into soy meat. Chairman Takada never gave up and searched all over Japan for processing companies, finally finding a company in Gifu Prefecture. After many twists and turns and much trial and error, he finally succeeded in commercializing the product, a world first.

With the cooperation of Hokuryu Town and many other stakeholders, sales began on Tuesday, December 1st.

The chefs of three restaurants in Hokuryu Town develop menus for "Kurosengoku Soy Meat"

In addition, the chefs of three restaurants in Hokuryu Town worked diligently to develop menu items using Kurosengoku soy meat.

This time, we interviewed three restaurants in Hokuryu town that cooperated in developing dishes using Kurosengoku soy meat: Restaurant Kazaguruma (Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen), Ajidokoro Yahachi, and Restaurant Himawari, to find out about their new menu items.


Restaurant Fusha (Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen)

Shops in Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen

A corner displaying Hokuryu Town's specialty products, including sunflower oil.

Restaurant Kazeguruma (Chef Maeda Tomokazu) has created three new dishes: "Kurosengoku soy meat keema curry," "Kurosengoku soy meat pasta," and "Kurosengoku soy meat steamed buns."

A talk from Chef Tomokazu Maeda



Kurosengoku soy meat keema curry

We are currently considering a name for our new menu item, "Kurosengoku Soy Meat Keema Curry," and are considering names such as "Spice Boy" and "Spice Girl."

"Kurosengoku Soybean Meat Keema Curry" uses five or six spices, including cumin and coriander, to create a spicy aroma. The keema curry is topped with rice cooked with Kurosengoku soybeans, vegetables, and a boiled egg.

Kurosengoku soy meat pasta

The "Kurosengoku Soybean Meat Pasta" is a pasta dish filled with the same keema curry. The noodles are made with a mix of "Kita Mizuho" rice flour from Hokuryu Town and "Kurosengoku Kinako" from Hokuryu Town.

Normally, keema curry sauce is placed on top of noodles, but this time we did the opposite, placing pasta on top of a layer of keema curry sauce made with Kurosengoku soy meat.

What I noticed after using Kurosengoku soy meat this time is that it is less sweet than white soy meat. Therefore, it can be easily incorporated into a variety of dishes, and I think it is an ingredient that can be used in a wide range of dishes as a substitute for meat.

However, it is a little difficult to use in dishes that require solidification, such as hamburger steaks, so I think it is better suited to sauce-based dishes.

Furthermore, I think it is easy to use in dishes that contain meat, such as meat buns, spring rolls, and shumai.

Kurosengoku soy meat buns

For this "Kurosengoku Soy Meat Steamed Bun," the dough is mixed with Kurosengoku kinako (roasted soybean flour) and rice flour, and the filling is made with Kurosengoku soy meat in a soy sauce base, along with shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots to take advantage of the texture, and a touch of sesame oil to give it the feel of a regular steamed bun.

I would like to continue trying out different menu items using Kurosengoku soy meat and come up with various variations in the future.

Coming later this year! Kurosengoku Soy Meat Keema Curry

This "Kurosengoku Soybean Meat Keema Curry" is scheduled to appear on the menu at Restaurant Kazaguruma by the end of the year, so please look forward to it.

This is what Chef Maeda said.

Kurosengoku soy meat keema curry

It's spicy, made with 5-6 types of spices including cumin and coriander, and topped with rice cooked with Kurosengoku soybeans, vegetables and a boiled egg!


Kurosengoku soy meat pasta

Keema curry is made by mixing pasta noodles made with Kurosengoku kinako and rice flour with keema curry made with Kurosengoku soy meat!


Kurosengoku soy meat buns

The skin of the steamed bun is made from Kurosengoku soybean flour, rice flour, and wheat flour. The filling is a soy sauce flavor of Kurosengoku soy meat, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, etc. The steamed bun has a rich flavor and is soft and chewy!


Ajidokoro Yahachi

Ajidokoro Hachihachi (Chef Okino Manabu) has created three new dishes: "Kurosengoku soy meat soy milk gratin," "Kurosengoku soy meat miso moffles," and "Kurosengoku soy meat and sunflower oil furikake."


A talk by Chef Manabu Okino

Kurosengoku soy meat and soy milk gratin

The Kurosengoku soy meat sauce in the "Kurosengoku Soy Meat Soy Milk Gratin" is seasoned with ketchup, salt, and pepper. The white sauce is made with "Kita Mizuho" rice flour and soy milk from Hokuryu Town, seasoned with miso, salt, and pepper, and garnished with broccoli.

I created this as a vegan menu. Vegan cooking cannot use animal extracts such as chicken consommé granules, so the seasoning method changes considerably. I used miso and soy sauce as substitutes for consommé.

When you add rice flour to soy milk gratin, it solidifies more easily than wheat flour, making it easier to use in white sauce. You can also change the flavor by adding toppings such as soy sauce or Tabasco to suit your taste.

Kurosengoku soybean meat miso moffles

The Kurosengoku Soybean Meat Miso Moffle is made with Himawari Nosan's Hakucho Mochi rice cake, Kurosengoku soybeans Kurochan Don, and this time, Kurosengoku soybean meat miso (strongly seasoned with miso and sugar).

Kurosengoku soy meat & sunflower oil sprinkle

Our top recommendation this time is "Kurosengoku Soy Meat & Sunflower Oil Furikake."

Heat the garlic and chili pepper in a generous amount of sunflower oil, then add the Kurosengoku soy meat all at once and fry. Turn off the heat, drain in a colander, and once the oil has cooled slightly, season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce. This is a peperoncino-style recipe. It looks like edible chili oil. If you want to add a bit of spiciness, you can adjust the flavor as you like.

About Kurosengoku Soy Meat

After using Kurosengoku soy meat as an ingredient, I found that it retains a crispy texture better when cooked and seasoned by frying or frying it directly without soaking it in water, which I prefer.

Regular cooking is "additive cooking," where various ingredients are added to create a delicious flavor, but vegan cooking is "subtractive cooking." There are many seasonings and ingredients that cannot be used, so the seasoning method is difficult. The difficulty and fun lies in creating a delicious alternative to what has been subtracted.

It was a lot of fun and I was able to take on a variety of challenges.

This time, I tried various arrangements with the aim of making it vegan. I had always wanted to try gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan cooking, so when I got this chance, I was able to try many different things through trial and error and tasting, which was a lot of fun.

Chef Okino said with a smile.

Kurosengoku soy meat and soy milk gratin

This gratin is made with rice flour and soy milk, and is a perfect blend of white sauce and soy sauce-based Kurosengoku soy meat for a gentle flavor!


Kurosengoku soybean meat miso moffles

The chewy mochi rice cake is topped with the crispy texture of Kurochan Don and the rich aroma of miso from Kurosengoku soybean meat, making for an amazing meat and miso moffle!!!


Kurosengoku soy meat and sunflower oil sprinkle

A wonderful furikake seasoning that combines sunflower oil and Kurosengoku soy meat!


Sprinkle it on your new rice!

The crunchy texture of Kurosengoku soy meat is irresistible!


Raw black soybean meat and raw white soybean meat before cooking



Restaurant Himawari

Himawari Restaurant (Chef Sato Mitsuo) has created three new dishes: "Kurosengoku soy meat gapao rice," "Kurosengoku soy meat soba," and "Kurosengoku soy meat flour doughnuts and Kurosengoku soy meat rice crackers."


A talk from Chef Mitsuo Sato

Kurosengoku soy meat gapao rice

The Kurosenkoku soy meat used in the gapao rice is fried as is and then seasoned with garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, etc.

For color, it is garnished with orange and yellow paprika, snap peas, purple onion, lettuce, and a soft-boiled egg.

Kurosengoku soy meat soba

The Kurosengoku soy meat used in the soba noodles is roasted, then processed in a food processor into a powder (like soybean flour), which is then hand-made.

Kurosengoku soy meat doughnuts & Kurosengoku soy meat rice crackers

The dessert is a doughnut made with Kurosengoku soy meat powder, topped with Kurosengoku soy meat baked rice crackers and Kita Mizuho ice cream.

About Kurosengoku Soy Meat

Menu development was something we had never done before, so it was quite difficult and involved a lot of trial and error.

Kurosengoku soy meat has almost no soy smell. However, it tends to be difficult to form into meatballs or hamburgers. It is suitable for meat sauce dishes.

The gapow rice was still a little dry, so there is still room for improvement.

said Head Chef Sato.

Kurosengoku soy meat soba

Kurosengoku soybean meat is roasted and ground in a food press, then the powder is mixed with buckwheat flour.


Kurosengoku soy meat gapao rice

Our original gapao rice is made with Kurosengoku soy meat seasoned with soy sauce and oyster sauce. The colorful toppings of vegetables and soft-boiled eggs are a delight!


Kurosengoku soy meat doughnuts & Kurosengoku soy meat rice crackers

The donuts are soft and chewy! The baked rice crackers are crispy! The "Kita Mizuho Ice Cream" melts in your mouth with a gentle sweetness!


The Kurosengoku Soy Meat Boys are healthy, excellent babies born and raised in Hokuryu Town with lots of love!!!

Everyone contributed ideas and transformed it into something cool, stylish, and incredibly delicious!!!

We look forward to seeing them continue to transform into various styles and bring you energy and deliciousness!

To the powerful and sturdy Kuro-chan Meat Boys who shine brightly in Hokuryu Town,
With boundless love, gratitude and prayers...


Other photos

・Newly released "Kurosengoku Soy Meat" Click here for 65 photos of the Kurosengoku Soy Meat Project, which is being undertaken by restaurants in Hokuryu Town >>

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◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi