Over 20 tons per year: the largestscale harvest in Shikoku
１, The most delicious, high quality water in Japan
Wood ear mushrooms are more than 80% water. We believe the flavor, quality, and mouthfeel of our mushrooms is determined by the quality of the water they’re grown with. We’re committed to the water we use, and feed our mushrooms the same water
that we ourselves drink on the plantation. That’s what allows us to stand behind our product. From cultivation to the washing phase, we only use natural spring water from the Niyodo river.
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２，No pesticides, no preservatives
Many imported brands spray their crops with chemicals and insecticides, but did you know that a lot of places in Japan use these imported wood ear mushrooms in their school lunches?
Also known as “edible Chinese medicine,” wood ear mushrooms have been shown to help with digestion and vitamin absorption. That’s why our company is committed to never use pesticides, so that adults and children alike can receive the nutritional benefits of wood ear mushrooms safely and without worry.
３，We inspect and pack every single mushroom by hand
We ship our product to restaurants, culinary institutions, and supermarkets all across the country, operating by hand from quality control to final inspection. Being the same variety of mushroom, our product may appear the same as our competitors, but once rehydrated, you can see the difference in quality, condition, and usability.
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４，The perfect environment: natural mist and temperature differences make for happy wood ears!
Natural mist that welcomes the dawn and dusk kisses our wood ear mushrooms with moisture. Especially in the summertime, we’ll often open up the sides of our greenhouses to let more of that natural mist in. The mushrooms soak it up, stimulating their growth and leaving their surfaces damp and moist. Where our plantation sits 750 meters above sea level in the Shikoku Mountains, the days are hot and the nights are cold. This temperature difference is optimal for the growth cycle of the wood ear, resulting in a tender and meaty mushroom.
５，24-hour care for wood ear mushrooms through the introduction of IT
Thanks to an internally-developed IT system that thoroughly regulates the proper temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels necessary for the cultivation of the wood ear, we are now able to harvest and ship high quality mushrooms all across the
country.
Best-selling black wood ear mushroom series Used in over 90% of elementary and middle school lunches in Kochi prefecture.
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product name: dried black wood ear mushroom (whole/sliced)
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best before: 365 days after production (when kept cool and dry)
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variety: black cloud ear fungus (grown in Kochi prefecture)
＜Characteristics＞
Dried wood ear is known as an anti-aging wonder drug, or “edible Chinese medicine,” and contains many nutrients associated with longevity. The white wood ear, too, contains large amounts of vitamin D, calcium, iron, and fiber. We recommend it to
everyone from growing children to ladies and the elderly. Our company also doesn’t use pesticides and preservatives found in imported brands. Our brand is used in school lunches at 90% of elementary and middle schools in Kochi Prefecture.
Children from the town of Niyodogawa, Agawa District, Kochi Prefecture.
＜Production＞
After cutting off their hard stems (the root), raw wood ears are washed and then sun-dried for 2-3 days. The sun-drying boosts vitamin D levels. It may also be beneficial to let dried wood ears sit in the sun at home for 5 or 10 minutes before using.
cutting the stems off
sun-drying
＜Whole type＞
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If using hot, boiling water, the mushrooms can be ready to use within 20-25 minutes.
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You can cut them to whatever size and shape suits your cooking needs.
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They are easy to use in Japanese, western, Chinese, or medicinal cooking
＜Sliced type＞
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These reyhdrate even faster than whole mushrooms. We recommend them to those who
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Since they are pre-sliced, you can use them without dirtying a knife or cutting board.
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They are convenient for singles because you can take out only the amount you need.
＜Example recipes using dried wood ear＞
Rare white wood ear mushroom series A nutrient-rich jewel of the forest with a silhouette that evokes fair skin
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product name: dried white wood ear mushroom (whole)
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variety: white cloud ear fungus (grown in Kochi prefecture)
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best before: 365 days after production (when kept cool and dry)
＜What are domestic white wood ear mushrooms?＞
They are a new domestic variety cultivated from a naturally occurring mutant (albino) variety of black wood ear mushroom.
A black wood ear with no pigment will appear about once per crop of 10,000. The white wood ear mushroom was born through selective breeding of the spores from those rare instances.
The parent of the white wood ear is of course the black wood ear. Because the traits from that parent are still passed on to its children, black and white spotted wood ears also crop up. Our company does its best to choose only the purest white wood ears
during production. They turn yellow from condensation as part of the drying process, but return to their original white once rehydrated. Please be aware that this variety differs from the snow ear which is prominent in China and Taiwan.
＜Characteristics＞
The white wood ear has a softer mouthfeel and more subtle flavor compared to the black wood ear. Dried wood ear is known as an anti-aging wonder drug, or “edible Chinese medicine,” and contains many nutrients associated with longevity. The white wood ear, too, contains large amounts of vitamin D, calcium, iron, and fiber. We recommend it to everyone from growing children to ladies and the elderly. Our company also doesn’t use pesticides and preservatives found in imported brands.
Starting with home kitchens around the country, white wood ear has also made its way into restaurants and medicinal cooking schools.
＜Production＞
After cutting off their hard stems (the root), raw wood ears are washed and then sun-dried for 2-3 days. The sun-drying boosts vitamin D levels. It may also be beneficial to let dried wood ears sit in the sun at home for 5 or 10 minutes before using.
cultivation
before drying
after drying
＜Whole mushrooms＞
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If using hot, boiling water, the mushrooms can be ready to use within 20-25 minutes.
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You can prepare them in whatever size or shape you please.
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They are easy to use in Japanese, western, Chinese, or medicinal cooking.
＜Example recipes using white wood ear mushroom＞
Quick, simple, time-saving method to rehydrate wood ear mushrooms
* The typical method for rehydrating dried wood ear mushrooms involves soaking them in warm water for 40 minutes to as much as 2 hours. Many are quick to give up on using them because it takes too long. If you are one of these people, then we have good news for you! There is a faster, easier method.
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Put the mushrooms you plan to use in a bowl.
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Pour in plenty of boiling hot water
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They’ll be ready to use in 20-25 minutes (15 if sliced).Wait 40-50 minutes if you want them rehydrated completely.
＜Tip＞
For busy people, you can put the mushrooms in a bowl of cold water before you go to bed and let them sit overnight. They’ll be plump and ready by morning.
Practical uses for the leftover broth
(for both black and white wood ear mushrooms)
The broth leftover from soaking the mushrooms is odorless like shiitake, but contains trace amounts of vitamin B2 and other nutrients. Try using it in soup, miso, or rice.
Leftover broth from imported wood ears vs. Niyodo wood ears
left: imported, right: Niyodo
As you can see, the broth left by the imported mushrooms is murky, but the broth from the Niyodo mushrooms is yellow and clear.
Are you surprised?
Both are dried forms of the same variety of cloud ear fungus, and yet there’s a huge difference in the broth.
The cheap imported brand is sprayed with pesticides and preservatives, and there’s a difference in sanitary conditions during processing.
Ways to use the lefover broth from Niyodo wood ear mushrooms
We’ve taken our dried wood ear mushrooms and ground them into a fine powder. A great way for kids who don’t like vegetables and those who have trouble eating regular mushrooms to broaden their culinary horizons.
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product name: powdered black wood ear mushroom
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variety: black cloud ear fungus (grown in Kochi Prefecture) white cloud ear fungus grown in Kochi Prefecture)
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best before: 365 days after production (when kept cool and dry)
Until recently we had only sold our dried wood ear mushrooms in whole and sliced forms, but we received many requests from our customers via post and email. Some were aware of the high nutritional value of the mushrooms but were unable to eat them for a variety of reasons, while others wished to use them in a wider range of dishes and desserts. And so, in an effort to reach an even larger consumer base for Niyodogawa wood ears across the country, we created a new product, wood ear mushroom powder.
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“My growing child hates vegetables. I wish there was some way to get him to eat the nutrient-rich wood ears.”
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“Do you have wood ear powder that I could use in desserts and sweets?”
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“In my old age I’ve lost the strength to chew. Do you have a powder I could put in my miso soup? I want to take care of myself and prevent osteoperosis.”
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“My mother is handicapped. Do you have a powder that I could put in her food?”
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“I’ve been doing medicinal cooking and would like something to use in dessert.”
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“I’m aware of their health benefits, but I just don’t like wood ears. If there was a powder then I’d be willing to try it mixed into minced foods and the like.”
＜Characteristics of black wood ear powder＞
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Adds a reddish hue to clear soup.
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Has a stronger aroma compared to white wood ear.
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Easy to mix into hamburg or meatballs.
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It doesn’t dissolve easily in water so be careful not to add too much.
＜Characteristics of white wood ear powder＞
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Doesn’t change the color of soup.
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Has a somewhat weaker aroma than black wood ear.
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Easy to use in desserts, breads, and sweets.
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It doesn’t dissolve easily in water so be careful not to add too much.
＜Example recipes using wood ear powder＞
In minced foods and pastes
meat balls using black and white wood ear powder
When cooking rice
add one teaspoon to five-grain rice before cooking
In soup
Tomato soup with carrot and wood ear powder
In miso soup
miso soup with wood ear powder
In sweets, cookies, and desserts
cookies made with wood ear powder
Others
Wood ear arrowroot tea
We take pride in our very own wood ear arrowroot tea, made with black and white wood ear powder.
Benefits of Niyodogawa wood ear mushrooms
１, Niyodo wood ears are abundant in botanical collagen
Until now, collagen was only thought of as a component of animal matter, but recently the gelatinous parts of vegetables have come to be classified as “botanical collagen.” The gelatinous botanical collagen like that found in wood ear mushrooms stimulates the elastin in the central dermis layer, beautifying the skin and slowing aging, a clear effect that ladies are sure to love.
clear skin + anti aging
２，They’re also abundant in vitamin D
Top of the class among mushrooms, vegetables
Vitamin D strengthens the immune system and helps with calcium absorption. As a side effect of the rise of UV protection in recent years, nine out of ten people are now said to have a vitamin D deficiency. Without adequate vitamin D, bones become weaker as do the gums, making one more prone to cavities. Not only that, but the immune system declines, leading to a higher tendency to become sick. Vitamin D is also known to have a large influence on fetal health, and so is sought by expecting mothers or those trying to conceive. It is also expected to promote bone growth in children and help prevent osteoporosis and dementia in old age. Further research is being conducted on its effects on cancer, diabetes, and depression.
Calcium is an extremely important nutrient, responsible for building a strong and healthy body as the building material for your bones. Aside from mental instability, calcium deficiency can also make you more prone to dry skin and osteomalacia.
Wood ear mushrooms are rich in vegetable-derived calcium. Vegetable-derived calcium is easier for the human body to absorb than animal-derived calcium. It is an ingredient in the school lunches at over 90% of educational institutions in Kochi Prefecture.
３，About twice the calcium as milk!
４，They’re also abundant in iron
Known as “edible Chinese medicine,” dried wood ear contains high amounts of iron, which cleans and enriches the blood and is also said to prevent and help treat anemia and cold sensitivity.
A majority of Japanese women suffer from anemia or cold sensitivity due to iron deficiency. This effect becomes even greater as women age.
* Pregnant or breastfeeding women or those trying to conceive, who are in special need of iron, can consume our wood ears with peace of mind.
Niyodogawa wood ears are abundant in insoluble vegetable fiber, which regulates sugar intake and is a check on high blood pressure. For this reason it is linked with weight loss and diabetes prevention. It stimulates the intestines by absorbing and swelling with water, promoting a healthy gut and better digestion.
５，Triple the vegetable fiber of greater burdock
Our commitment to Niyodogawa wood ear mushrooms
Known as “edible Chinese medicine,” wood ear mushrooms are rich in nutrients. They are consumed by most everyone, from young children to the elderly. That is why we are committed to a safe, pesticide-free plantation that we can all trust.
company director KOEI FUJIHARA
～To our customers living abroad～
International shipping is available. (varies by region)
▼Shipping methods will depend on your location, but we will see to it that our products make their way to you.
If you would like to purchase our goods or have any questions, please contact us using the email address below.
Our staff members can respond in English and Chinese.
E－MAIL info@niyodogawa-kikurage.kochi.jp
Please allow a few days for our response.
▼To our foreign customers living in Japan
If you would like to purchase our goods or have any questions, please contact us using the email address below.
Our staff members can respond in English and Chinese.
E－MAIL info@niyodogawa-kikurage.kochi.jp
▼If you live in Japan, you can make a purchase using the online shop link below.
Shopping site http://tsuboi.shop-pro.jp/