Gourtto STORY (Winter 2023)

City of Yokohama, Transportation Bureau's public relations magazine "Gurutto" focuses on local production for local consumption along municipal subways and buses, entitled "Local Production for Local Consumption in My Town STORY." We will deliver interviews that did not fit in the magazine as a web-only article!　This time, we interviewed Keiichiro Yamabe (pictured right), Marika Yamaguchi (center), and Asuka Saegusa (pictured left) of Mitsuhashi Rice, who manufactures and sells sweets made from rice produced in Yokohama city.

"Yokohama rice karinto" made from rice flour produced in Yokohama city

Mitsuhashi Rice, which sells rice-related products in Yokohama City. We have been manufacturing and selling "Yokohama Rice Karinto", which uses 100% rice flour from the city, since 2021.
As a company born in Yokohama that handles rice, the biggest challenge is to increase the consumption of rice and convey its deliciousness to many people. On top of that, I would like to develop local production for local consumption using rice from the city. From that thought, "Yokohama Rice Karinto" was created.
Rice produced in Yokohama is low, and most of the rice is used for self-consumption. Therefore, it is said that it is not distributed to general mass retailers in large quantities. Such rice from the city was processed into rice flour and finished into karinto.
Karinto has the image of making flour. According to Yamabe, when we go back to history, rice was sometimes used, and the taste and texture are easy to match with rice flour.
There are three kinds of flavors: coffee, sharpness, and honey. All are packaged with 35g of chucks, perfect for snacks when you want to fill your stomach. There is also a three-type set packed in a box, which was developed to become a new standard for Yokohama souvenirs. Saegusa says, "I'm pleased if I give it to my relatives when I return home."

"It's refreshing because it uses rice flour and rice oil. Even if you eat it, you don't feel like your stomach gets heavy, so you can eat it crispy." This is Mr. Yamaguchi, who was involved in product development and sampled repeatedly. The package also aims to be fashionable and casual, and is well received by a wide range of people, especially young women.
The flavor was invented from the image of the city of Yokohama. His sharp taste is inspired by Yokohama-Chinatown, and his coffee taste is based on the fact that Yokohama is the birthplace of coffee culture. Coffee taste and honey taste are collaborations with local companies that purchased ingredients from companies in Yokohama. Coffee is purchased from Sanbon Coffee and honey is purchased from Chiborido.

Yokohama as an agricultural city
Mitsuhashi Rice began with a small company that wholesales rice in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama. Because it was a company raised by Yokohama, I focused on local production for local consumption in this area.
"Yokohama has a strong image as a sightseeing spot or house, and it may be difficult to spotlight agriculture. However, Komatsuna is produced a lot, and there are fruit tree brands such as beachless and beach grapes. According to Yokohama City, the area of farmland in the city is about 7%. I think it's an agricultural city because it's not well known and surprisingly has farmland."
The city of Yokohama, which has a large population and many visitors for sightseeing and immigration. Yamabe says that Yokohama, an agricultural city with a mixture of farmland, residential areas, and tourist attractions, is attractive as a place for local production for local consumption.

Rice flour has a short history. That's why

In addition to "Yokohama Rice Karinto", "Yokohama Rice Sunaku" has also been released since June 2023. Because it does not use 28 allergens and gluten-free, it is easy for those who care about their bodies to pick it up. We will continue to develop new products in order to improve the taste and quality of rice flour. Yamaguchi is thinking about making fluffy baked sweets with rice flour.
"The rice flour sweets and breads become hard so that when cooked rice cools down, it becomes hard. You may feel that flour is more delicious for baked goods. That's why I want to make sweets that are as competitive as flour."
Even now, rice flour sweets and bread are lined up in shops, it is said that 100% rice flour is not common. "Rice flour has fewer types of products than flour. I think there are still many possibilities in this regard," says Yamabe, and continues.
"I want Yokohama people to eat it, and I want people who visit for sightseeing to eat it. I also want to convey the goodness of the rice produced in the city. In cooperation with rice producers in the city, I would like to enliven this town. "
We will continue to explore the charms of rice and agricultural city, Yokohama, taking care of the origins.

"Yokohama Rice Karin,"
Type: Coffee, sharp, honey
Desired retail price: 310 yen each, including tax
Capacity: 35g/bag each
Stores: GOHANYA' GOHAN Minato Mirai Store, etc.
Location: 4-6-2 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku Grand Central Terrace 1F
Business hours: 11:00〜21:00
Access: From Blue Line Sakuragicho Station, get off at Yokohama-bijutsukan 156 and 292 municipal buses and walk about 2 minutes.
＊They are also sold at Yokohama Memorys on the second floor of Yokohama City Hall, souvenir shops in the city, and JA direct sales outlets.