Factory Introduction: Processing Technology

＼Reason／①We Have an Assortment of Machinery for Processing Bushi into Various Shapes

We can provide products that fit your needs exactly, as we are equipped with machinery for processing shavings, liquids, powders, and dried ingredients.

Thin Shaving

These shavings have thicknesses ranging from 20 microns (0.02mm) to 300 microns (0.3mm).
You can enjoy a sensation of the bushi melting in your mouth. If you use this bushi for takoyaki, okonomiyaki, or tsukudani, the true deliciousness and flavor of the bushi can be enjoyed.

We have 34 machines for thin shavings in the Tajiri Factory. We can provide hanakatsuo in shapes such as belt shavings and string shavings.

• Ultra-thin Shavings of 20 Microns
• Belt Shavings
• String Shavings

• Tajiri Factory Line Number 1
• Plane Blade with a 5mm Slit
• Plane Blade for String Shavings

Thick Shaving

These shavings have thicknesses ranging from 350 microns (0.35mm) to 1,200 microns (1.2mm).
You can extract robust dashi by slowly stewing these shavings. They are widely used for producing dashi, soy sauce, and other items.
We have 5 machines for thick shavings in the Sangamyo Factory. We perform brushing of the ingredients, soft-baking using far infrared rays, and shaving in succession.

• Thick Shavings of 1,000 Microns
• 3 Machines for Thick Shavings

Crushing/Pulverizing of Shavings

We break down shaved hanakatsuo into finer particles to provide products that suit our customers’ needs.
Products that have been shaved as usual can be passed through a “crushing machine” to make them finer.
The crushing blades rotate to make the shaved hanakatsuo finer. By adjusting the size of the screen attached to the crushing machine, we can produce products with the desired shape. We can make shapes that are easy to use for okonomiyaki, takoyaki, tsukudani, and others.

If you desire an even finer shape, we can use a pulverizing machine called the “power mill” after passing the shavings through a crushing machine to create a pulverized product.
Pulverized shavings can be used for dashi and eaten as is with food, allowing you to easily add delicious flavors. Similarly to the crushing machine, by adjusting the size of the screen attached to the power mill, we can provide the desired shape.
There are 5 screen sizes ranging from 1mm to 5mm.

• Product Made
  with the Crushing Machine
• Product Made
  with the 3mm Sized Power Mill

• Crushing Machine
• Power Mill for Pulverizing

Powder/Fine Powder

Bushi is pulverized with the “hammer crusher” without being shaven to granulate the bushi.
Since the bushi goes through less processing, the end product loses less of the true flavor of the bushi. You can extract robust dashi by slowly stewing this granulated bushi.

The hammer crusher has screens of 6mm and 8mm, allowing for different sizes to be processed depending on the usage. By using a “pin mill” on the product after it has been pulverized by the hammer crusher, a fine powdered product with a consistent grain size is produced.

By using a “NEA mill” on the product that has been made fine by a pin mill, a fine powder is produced.
This is a shape that is easy to use for dashi and kneaded products. Please reach out to us for specific usages.

• Hammer Crushed Product
• Pin Mill Powder Product
• NEA Mill Fine Powder Product

• Hammer Crusher
• Pin Mill
• NEA Mill

Furikake (Flavored Shaved Bushi)/Dried Ingredients

After blending flavoring liquids and powders into the shaved bushi, we dry it with a large hot air dryer.
You can specify the type of the bushi ingredients and the method of shaving. In addition to furikake, it is also possible to manufacture dashi powder of shaved bushi that has been flavored and dried.

It is possible to manufacture your unique furikake by blending seasoning with your own recipe to the dried product and adding various ingredients.

• Skipjack Tuna Furikake
• Mackerel Furikake

• Seasoning Blender
• Hot Air Dryer with 27m in Length

Liquid Dashi

We manufacture extracted liquid dashi that is easy to use.
With our large extraction tank, you can freely specify your recipe, such as mixed dashi containing kombu, in addition to dashi made from bushi of skipjack tuna or sardines.
For the packaging, you can select from cubitainers or crimp sealed cans.
If you would like a sterile product, we are equipped with aseptic filling machines.
You can specify ingredients and packaging that suit your needs.

• Plain Dashi
• Aseptically Filled Product

• Extraction Pots
• Aseptic Sterile Filling Machine

＼Reason／②Seasoned Craftsmen Perform Manufacturing

Products are manufactured completely through manual labor.
Products with thicknesses ranging from 20 ? 1,000 microns are all created through the craftsmen’s experience and senses.
While shaving the ingredient bushi by pressing it by hand against the plane blades, fine adjustments are repeated.
As each machine contains 14 plane blades, the craftsman’s skills are exhibited by how quickly and accurately the blades are adjusted.
At Kobayashi Foods, artisanal operators who are specialized in the tasks of each line manufacture shavings based on the product specifications.
Veterans with over 20 years of experience in shaving and young workers hone their skills as shaving craftsmen together.

• Tajiri Factory Employees
• Thickness Adjustments
  by Craftsmen
• Checking the Thickness
  with a Gauge

As we use natural ingredients, the moisture and scent of the shavings may vary depending on the ingredients.
Operators always check the color, shape, and texture of the shaved products.
Then, the moisture is measured using a simple moisture meter.
If the moisture is not up to the product standards, the temperature of the dryer is adjusted. Manufacturing does not begin until the product is deemed to be proper.
Weighing and packaging of the products is also performed by hand.
As weighing and packaging is performed while checking the products, immediate responses are possible in the case of a product irregularity.

• Checking the Product
• Dryer for Moisture Adjustment

＼Reason／③We stock katsuobushi and other ingredients from across Japan. You can choose the types of ingredients and bushi from your desired production location.

In addition to bushi from Yaizu and across Japan, we also import bushi from overseas.
You can select your desired bushi.
In addition to the bushi listed below, you can also select Japanese anchovy bushi, mold-fermented mackerel bushi, and other bushi that suits your needs.

Types of Bushi