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Shizuka Ogura

Dietitian / Nutritionist Healthcare Nutrition Writer

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Working as a hospital nutritionist.
My hobby is walk-and-eat. I will visit anywhere for delicious food.
My basic body makeup is limited to dietary restrictions. So I try to keep my daily dish as simple as possible, except when I eat out.
Perhaps because I am in contact with nutrition science on a regular basis, I have a little concern about what I eat.
There is a fixed amount of energy that can be taken in a day, so I am being careful not to absorb exceeding energy .
I often enjoy wine and French.
This is because like Jibie, which is high in protein, low in fat, and rich in vitamin minerals.
And, you can enjoy many ingredients little-by little in different dishes.
My healthy policy is “Balance is important for everything.”

Gokabo is a roasted soybean flour (kinako) pastry certified by the Japan Asian Halal Association.

Have you ever heard of the confectionery called “Gokabo”? It is one of the top three most famous confectioneries in Saitama. It is a traditional confectionery with a gentle taste and the main ingredients are glutinous rice and kinako (soybean flour).

(By the way, I’m from Saitama, but I didn’t know that Gokabo was one of the top three confectioneries until I reached this age! ) Also, some young people may have never eaten it before.The main ingredient is kinako which is made from soybeans. The gentle flavor comes from the syrup, sugar and glutinous rice, and the simple ingredients make us want it more and more. It doesn’t contain much fats, which makes it an ideal choice for healthy snack.
Watato, which I will introduce to you, is a long-established confectionery store that has been in business for 100 years. In the past, there were 24 Gokabo manufacturers in Tokyo, and a few more in Saitama, Ibaraki, and Gunma. Nowadays, that number is decreasing year by year.
Watato was named after its founder, Tosaku Watanabe. He started his business as a bean confectioner in Nihonbashi, and soon learned how to make Gokabo from a confectioner in Kumagaya. Watato has been making traditional confectionaries for almost 100 years. Currently, the business is managed by Mr. Masayuki Watanabe, the fourth generation of the family.

【I want more people to know the benefits of kinako. For this purpose, I will inherit and create the culture of the traditional confectionery “Gokabo”. I believe that this will bring even more smiles to families. And hope to make kinako (soybean flour) into a universal language called KINAKO.】
In order to realize this vision on a global scale, he has obtained Halal certification from the Japan-Asia Halal Association! The certification was obtained so that the next generation in Japan would be interested in kinako confectionery by introducing them to the world.

What do dietitians think that makes Gokabo special?

1. Safe and secure ingredients

Watato’s Gokabo is made from ingredients that only a long-established company can produce. Through experiencing the harvest of soybeans, Watato found several types of soybeans that would be suitable to use for their sweets. The soybeans were from Hokkaido, Aomori, and Canada. They are being used by Akiba Store, a rare manufacturer in Japan that produces only kinako, to make kinako developed specifically Watato every day.

The molasses (mitsu), which is one of the most important ingredients along with the kinako, is made using a recipe that they have cultivated over the years. The formula, boiling time, and temperature are changed according to the temperature and humidity of the season. Basically, there are four patterns, which are fine-tuned by the craftsmen according to the environment at the time, a true work of art. That’s how the gentle taste of Gokabo is made.

2. No extra fat is added.

In addition, there are no extra fatty substances in Gokabo. Butter, shortening, other fats and oils are often added to confectioneries, so even though they are light in taste, they tend to be very high in calories. However, the ingredients of Gokabo are glutinous rice, starch, water, sugar, and kinako. That is why it is low in calories. In addition, soybeans, the raw material for kinako, contain high quality protein, dietary fiber, minerals, and B vitamins. The Gokabo are made from safe, reliable, and healthy ingredients. I think this is a snack that I would like to promote to people of all ages, regardless of gender.

What is a new creative product to reverse the Covid-19 pandemic?

Before the pandemic of Covid-19, Watato was actively conducting factory tours. However, they had to cancel it for the time being. They thought of what they could do for people who were looking forward to the factory tour experience, and they came up with a new product: Kinakobo kit (Soybean snack), which you can make at home!
It is very nostalgic, isn’t it? I remember when I was a kid, I used to buy it at candy stores. This handmade kit is feasible because of its simple ingredients.
Now that we have more time at home, we can enjoy making sweets with kids. You can also add sesame seeds, almonds, peanuts, dried fruits, crushed rice crackers, crushed cookies, and other ingredients of your choice to make your own original kinakobo.

「 Watato Corporation」Basic information

Store name	Watato Corporation
Tel	03-3883-3209
Address	2-18-9 Higashi-Hokima, Adachi-ku, Tokyo
Business hours	Mondays-Fridays, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Holiday	Saturdays, Sundays, Public holidays
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