Minoyo’s Soybean Roastery
Minoyo’s soybean roastery, expanding the new possibilities of soybeans.
From cultivation to product development, we introduce our initiatives for the future of food.
From Growing the Soybeans,
from what is left behind.
Soybean Project
Growing soybeans is not about making a raw material, but about looking anew at the “origin of craftsmanship,” living together with nature. On a trial basis, in a field in Nantan, Kyoto, our employees sow seeds with their own hands, till the soil, and—wrapped in sunlight and wind—grow them with the power of the earth. Based on the importance of craftsmanship we have felt in this way, through the roasting and milling of soybeans, they transform into products such as kinako, soybean dashi, and coffee. By carrying out everything through to manufacturing and product development in an integrated way, Minoyo looks straight at the flow of an ingredient’s life. Where, by whom, and with what feelings it was grown. We value “food craftsmanship” in which you can sense even that background. The activities of the soybean roastery also carry the wish to support the declining number of soybean and adzuki farmers. Standing in the fields ourselves and collaborating with local people, we pass the “joy of making” and the “joy of eating” on to the next generation. From a single soybean, we cultivate the future. That is Minoyo’s soybean roastery.
The Soybean Roastery’s
Overview of the Initiative
Overview of the
Soybean Project
- Spreading the Appeal
- Product Development
- Soybean Roastery
- Cultivation in the Field
Cultivation in the Field
In Nantan City, Kyoto, we started growing soybeans in-house on a trial basis using natural farming methods. By looking anew at everything from raw material to product, we realize a sustainable cycle of food.
A Specialized Soybean Factory
At the soybean roastery, we roast soybeans with dedicated equipment. Drawing out their aroma and nutrition, we craft products that make the most of local resources.
Soybean Product Development
By roasting soybeans, we develop a diverse range of products such as kinako, soybean powder, and coffee. We propose forms of soybean that make the most of flavor and nutrition.
Wagashi
Making the most of Kyoto ingredients, we develop wagashi that highlight the fragrance of soybeans. We deliver natural sweetness and a gentle melt-in-the-mouth quality.
Minoyo’s Cultivation Project
To learn about the soybeans used at Minoyo’s soybean roastery, we began cultivating them on a trial basis in a field in Nantan City, Kyoto. Our employees themselves take on soybean cultivation using natural farming methods, watching over the entire process from tilling the soil and sowing seeds to harvest. Grown by the power of the earth without relying on chemical fertilizers or pesticides, these soybeans are a symbol of sustainable ingredient making passed on to the next generation. Through this activity, we share the “joy of making” together with local farmers and the younger generation, nurturing a place where you can feel the connection between food and agriculture.
About the Specialized Soybean Factory
Soybeans are given new life at Minoyo’s roastery. Skilled artisans discern the condition and humidity of the beans, carefully adjusting the heat and time to draw out the fragrance and sweetness to the fullest. Each soybean has its own character, and a slight difference in roasting greatly affects the flavor and aroma. At Minoyo’s roastery, as the origin that leads to a variety of products such as kinako, soybean coffee, and soybean dashi, we remain committed to “roasting that brings out the ingredient.”
A Dedicated Soybean Roasting Line
Equipped with a dedicated soybean roasting line, enabling the optimal roast for each variety and application. Equipped with a dedicated soybean roasting line, enabling the optimal roast for each variety and application.
Integrated System from Manufacturing to Shipping
An in-house system that handles everything from roasting and milling to packaging in an integrated manner. An in-house system that handles everything from roasting and milling to packaging in an integrated manner.
Roasting Technology That Draws Out the Umami of Soybeans
Roasting technology that, centered on domestic soybeans, draws out the ingredient’s natural aroma and umami. Roasting technology that, centered on domestic soybeans, draws out the ingredient’s natural aroma and umami.
Soybean-Related
Original Products
Original Product
Growing soybeans is not about making a raw material, but about looking anew at the “origin of craftsmanship,” living together with nature. In a field in Nantan, Kyoto, our employees sow seeds with their own hands, till the soil, and—wrapped in sunlight and wind—grow them with the power of the earth. The soybeans that ripen this way are carried to our own workshop, and through roasting and milling, they transform into kinako, soybean dashi, coffee, and more. By carrying out everything from cultivation to manufacturing and product development in an integrated way, Minoyo looks straight at the flow of an ingredient’s life. Where, by whom, and with what feelings it was grown. We value “food craftsmanship” in which you can sense even that background. This Soybean Project also carries the wish to support the declining number of soybean and adzuki farmers. Standing in the fields ourselves and collaborating with local people, we pass the “joy of making” and the “joy of eating” on to the next generation. From a single soybean, we cultivate the future. That is Minoyo’s Soybean Project. This Soybean Project also carries the wish to support the declining number of soybean and adzuki farmers. Standing in the fields ourselves and collaborating with local people, we pass the “joy of making” and the “joy of eating” on to the next generation. From a single soybean, we cultivate the future. That is Minoyo’s Soybean Project.
Soybean Coffee
A caffeine-free grain coffee made by grinding and brewing roasted soybeans. Distinguished by its fragrant, mellow flavor, it is gentle on the body and can be enjoyed with peace of mind before bed or during pregnancy.
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Black Soybean Coffee
A caffeine-free coffee made with roasted domestic black soybeans. The fragrance characteristic of black soybeans and a faint sweetness spread through it, making it a cup recommended for relaxing moments and for those mindful of their health.
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Soybean Dashi
A gentle, umami-rich plant-based dashi that makes the most of the fragrance of roasted soybeans. Using no animal-derived ingredients, it adds a natural richness to miso soup, simmered dishes, and Japanese cuisine in general.
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Warabi Mochi
A wagashi with a smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture made with hon-warabi-ko. Making the most of the ingredient’s flavor, it pairs superbly with kinako and kuromitsu. You can enjoy a cool, refined taste.
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The Soybean Roastery’s Original Products
Original Product
To roast soybeans is not merely to process a raw material, but to face the “origin of craftsmanship” of drawing out the aroma and flavor the bean holds. At the soybean roastery, drawing on the roasting and milling techniques cultivated as a specialty store of Kyoto confectionery raw materials, we have given form to new flavors of soybean, centered on kinako making. The fragrance and deep flavor born from roasting change greatly depending on the soybean variety, place of origin, and roasting method. Carefully discerning those differences, we deliver as products not only kinako but also the flavors born from roasting beans, such as soybean coffee and soybean dashi. We look not only at soybeans as a raw material but also at the farmers and regional landscapes behind them. Where they grew, and how they were harvested. Valuing the background of each and every bean, we connect them, through roasting and manufacturing, to new forms of food. The soybean roastery’s original products carry the wish to expand the possibilities of the bean and the desire to convey the value of the ingredient into the future. While valuing the tradition of kinako, we will propose the appeal of soybeans in various forms.
Soybean Coffee
Black Soybean Coffee
Soybean Dashi
Minoyo Kinako (roasted soybean flour)
Roasting Soybeans Is
Facing the Bean—
the Work of “Inquiry.”
Soybeans may look the same, but their condition differs from day to day. Humidity, temperature, how the heat penetrates, how the aroma rises—even a slight difference in any of these changes the flavor. Sensing the parts that machines cannot measure, we search for the optimal roast for that day. Adjusting the heat, at the moment the fragrant aroma rises, I can think, “It’s become good beans again today.” That accumulation, I believe, is what creates Minoyo’s flavor.
Look at the Soil, and
You Can Tell This Year’s
Face of the Soybeans.
When I stand in the field, I can somehow tell how the year is going from the smell of the soil. Changes in weather and temperature make the beans grow differently, and even the same field wears a different face each year. That is exactly why you can’t cut corners. You pull the weeds, look at the soil, and tend to them as if talking to them. Soybeans are an honest crop—the care you put in comes straight back to you in the harvest. The staff at Minoyo also stand in the fields with us, so more than anything, I’m glad we can share the joy of “making” together.
For the Future of Wagashi
100 Years from Now,
We Keep Moving Forward.
Soybeans may look the same, but their condition differs from day to day. Humidity, temperature, how the heat penetrates, how the aroma rises—even a slight difference in any of these changes the flavor. Sensing the parts that machines cannot measure, we search for the optimal roast for that day. Adjusting the heat, at the moment the fragrant aroma rises, I can think, “It’s become good beans again today.” That accumulation, I believe, is what creates Minoyo’s flavor.
Request Materials from the Soybean Roastery
Please feel free to reach out with any questions about raw materials or products, or to request materials.
Our dedicated staff will respond with care.