DAISEN, Akita Prefecture—A processed food company here has found a way to prevent the pungent scent of “iburigakko” smoked daikon from embarrassing people in public.
Takalabo Produce LLC, headed by Kenichi Suzuki, packages the local specialty in cans to keep in the smell.
The company partnered with a canned product maker and an iburigakko factory in Akita Prefecture to commercially sell the canned smoked radish.
Under the conventional method, iburigakko is placed in plastic packages that are immersed in hot water for sterilization.
One iburigakko buyer reported “feeling embarrassed when its smell leaked on a Shinkansen bullet train.”
A staff member of a store handling the crispy regional delicacy was “astonished by the strong scent.”
Takalabo, which uses a dedicated autoclave to sterilize iburigakko, offers two canned varieties: finely chopped and thinly sliced radish.
The labels show the product names in English–Japanese Smoked Radish Coppamijin (Smithereens) and Japanese Smoked Radish Sliced.
The aim is to make overseas visitors aware of traditional food in Akita Prefecture.
Buyers can also view the iburigakko production process on a video by reading the QR code on the cans.
Cans of iburigakko are sold at Akita Airport’s souvenir shop Aeru, the Granpole gift store at JR Omagari Station, as well as at Akita specialty shops in Fukuoka and Tokyo’s Shinagawa district.
The 95-gram tin costs 896 yen ($5.60), including tax, in Akita Prefecture. The price rises to 972 yen outside the northern prefecture.
