From Waste Materials to the Materials of the Future
The Cacao Alternative Project.
With a material born from the roasting process of soybean coffee, we open up the future of confectionery.
Starting craftsmanship
from what is left behind.
Cacao Project
The Soybean Roastery’s
Overview of the Initiative
Overview of the
Cacao Project
- Supply to Food Manufacturers
- Development of Cacao Alternative Materials
- Turning Soybean Residue into Material
- Roasting Soybean Coffee
Roasting Soybean Coffee
At the soybean roastery, we roast domestic soybeans with dedicated equipment to produce caffeine-free soybean coffee, drawing out the ingredient’s natural aroma.
Turning Soybean Residue into Material
We are advancing an initiative to make use of the soybean residue left in the soybean coffee production process as a new food material, rather than ending it as waste.
Development of Cacao Alternative Materials
By adjusting the roast level, particle size, and blend of the fine powder, we finish it into a confectionery ingredient with a flavor and color close to cacao.
Supply to Food Manufacturers
In forms suited to the application—powder, flakes, paste, and more—it can be used in developing products such as chocolate, baked confections, and drinks.
Overview of Wa (Japanese) Cacao Products
Our artisans assess the condition of the fine powder and how the aroma lingers, carefully adjusting the heat of the secondary roast and how the particle size is refined bag by bag. The finish differs in character from lot to lot, and while making the most of that individuality, we draw out a flavor and deep color that suit confectionery. At Minoyo’s roastery, as the starting point of a material that leads to chocolate, baked confections, drinks, and more, we remain committed to “turning waste materials into materials.”
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.
View the Product Page →
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.
View the Product Page →
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.
View the Product Page →
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.
View the Product Page →
Other Soybean Roastery Items
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.